Book One: Revelations
by Brandy Leigh
Summary: When a new Charmed One makes her appearance, Piper discovers something about herself that she never knew. Who is this girl and why have the Elders never heard of her? Alternate Universe.
1. Chapter One

Title: Book One - Revelations  
Author: Brandy Leigh  
Disclaimer: Piper & Phoebe Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Leo Wyatt and Cole Turner don't belong to me, they belong to Constance M. Burge, Spelling Television, and The WB. I'm not making any money off of this, so don't sue me!  
Feedback: DUH! Gimme! brandyb@exis.net  
Archive: I guarantee you I'll say yes, just ask me first so I can visit!  
Keywords: AU, Supernatural, Romance  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: None so far  
Summary: When a new Charmed One makes her appearance, Piper discovers something about herself that she never knew. Who is this girl and why have the Elders never heard of her? Alternate Universe.  
Authors notes: Here I go, writing myself into yet another fanfic. Well, this is my very first Charmed fic, and it is something from my own daydreams. First I have to say that if you can't stand the fact of Piper being with someone else besides Leo, this isn't the fic for you. My second warning is that if you have a problem with female/female relationships, again this is not the fic for you. If you can overlook both things, then read on!  
  
Additional Note: This fic is not just about a relationship, there is a deeper plot to it. A character is introduced: The Protector. The Protector is similar to an advanced white lighter, yet there is only one. She is assigned to the Charmed Ones.  
Revelations  
by: Brandy Leigh  
~*~  
  
Piper sighed and paced back and forth in the living room of the manor, her eyes frantically flitting around the room as she waited for Leo to return. He was due back any minute after having asked the Elders about Phoebe's latest premonition.  
  
About an hour ago, while touching the counter of the Krispy Kream down the street, she had a vision of a girl who seemed to have powers much as Prue once did. An apparent demon had approached her, and by merely waving her arm she had sent it flying back against the wall before she ran away.  
  
Of course this vision was quite the shock, for as far as they all knew there were only three witches who possessed such powers, four if you counted Paige. How could there be another witch just as powerful as the Charmed Ones? And even if there was, who was she working for? Certainly there was the possibility that she herself was a demon.  
  
After all of those bases had been covered, and if she was infact a good witch with powers such as theirs, what was to come of it? Could she too work with them as a Charmed One and bring the evil of the underworld to its downfall? If so, they had to get to her before her powers fell into the wrong hands. Perhaps this was the meaning of Phoebe's premonition.  
  
Paige watched as Piper paced around the room, her eyes beginning to tire from swinging back and forth the past ten minutes straight. The girl was going full speed, and it was getting to the point where she didn't know how much longer she could stand to watch her. She let this go on for approximately another minute before finally speaking up.  
  
"Piper would you sit down and relax? I feel like I'm watching a tennis match!" she shouted.  
  
"Sorry," Piper muttered, striding over to the couch and flopping down. Yet her movements did not stop, for her legs continued to bounce up and down even as she sat.  
  
"Calm down!" Paige exclaimed, tossing a pillow into her eldest sister's face. "My God, woman. You're acting like you're five!"  
  
"I'm sorry," Piper repeated with a sigh. "I'm just worried. For all we know this girl could be our undoing!"  
  
"She's not going to destroy us, Piper. You're making it seem like she's the anti-christ or something. She's probably just a regular witch with not-so-regular powers or... something."  
  
"You're probably right," she replied, fiddling with the pillow Paige had thrown at her.  
  
Suddenly, the blue orbs that represented the arrival of Leo began to form across the room from them. Both girls looked up, Piper of course jumping up, and voiced the same question at the same time.   
  
"What did they say?"  
  
Leo smiled at Piper's actions then replied, "They don't know who she is, and there's nothing written about another Charmed One. Of course that doesn't mean much since they'd never heard of Paige until after Prue was gone."  
  
"Great, just great," Piper muttered, flopping back down on the couch with a loud huff.  
  
"Does that mean that one of us is going to like, die?" Paige asked with a concerned look.  
  
"No one is going to die," Piper answered, giving her a harsh look.  
  
"Sorry I asked," Paige said, rolling her eyes and turning away from Piper.  
  
"I don't think anyone's at risk here," Leo told them, sitting on the arm of the couch. "The elders say she's protected by good, and a demon would never be protected by good. Plus, we found out about her and no one's hurt. Paige turned up after Prue..."  
  
"We get it," Piper said, glaring up at him.  
  
"So what now?" Paige asked.  
  
"Well, first we need to talk to Phoebe and make sure there wasn't anything she left out, or if she's had another premonition since her last one. Anything we can find out about this girl will be helpful," Leo replied.  
  
"And we need to try to find out her name and where we can find her," Piper added.  
  
"Where is Phoebe anyway?" Paige asked, glancing around.  
  
"Upstairs in her room. She's been working on her newest work assignment like her life depends on it," Piper answered.  
  
"I'll go get her," Paige replied, jumping up and running up the stairs.  
  
"In the meantime," Leo said, moving from the arm of the couch to sit beside Piper, "we need to talk."  
  
"Leo, I told you we have nothing left to discuss."  
  
"Yes we do, Piper. Things were going fine and then you suddenly broke up with me without even an explanation. I think you atleast owe me an explanation."  
  
"And I gave you one. I told you I needed to figure things out, personal things that even I'm not sure about yet."  
  
Leo sighed and shook his head, then stood and looked down at Piper. He had a sad look in his eyes, one of rejection, pain and fear. He could not understand what was so confusing in Piper's life right now that she was pushing him away instead of reaching out for his help. It hurt him, but above all it scared him.  
  
"Then I guess I have nothing else to say," he told her. "Just know one thing, I'll never give up on you, Piper. I'll be waiting for you until you're ready, no matter how long it takes."  
  
Piper sighed and looked down, unable to meet Leo's eyes. "I'm Sorry Leo, I just..."  
  
Leo shook his head and smiled, letting her know she didn't have to say anything else. With that he was enveloped in blue light as he began to orb out of the room. Piper's eyes started to water as she saw the light out of the corner of her eye, knowing that he was gone and it was now officially over. She had thought they would be together forever, but now it was clear it had only been a dream.  
  
Paige began to walk down the stairs at that exact moment, pulling a complaining Phoebe along behind her. Halfway down the stairs the two spotted Piper on the couch and saw the look on her face, and both immediately rushed over and plopped down on either side of her. Each wrapped an arm around her, and she laid her head down on Phoebe's shoulder and began to cry harder.  
  
"Shh it's okay sweetie," Phoebe soothed, holding her sister closer.  
  
"No it's not," Piper said through her tears. "He's gone, Phoebe. He's really gone, and it's really over."  
  
"But he's not gone forever," Paige offered, glancing up at Phoebe.  
  
"Paige is right, he's still our whitelighter so he'll be around to help us alot. Plus, you know he'd be here in two seconds if you ever needed him for anything or just wanted to talk."  
  
Piper wiped at the tears on her face and looked up at her sisters who were trying so hard to make her feel better. She smiled at them both, drawing from their strength. She knew they were right, and she knew that breaking it off with Leo was the right thing to do. Until she had her feelings and her life straight and figured out, she didn't need to be in a committed relationship. She just hoped and prayed that her emotional status wouldn't affect her performance on the field.  
  
"Enough about me," Piper said as she sat up a bit, trying to push away the emotions that were stabbing at her heart. "We need to find this girl. Phoebe, tell us everything you saw in your premonition, anything at all that might be helpful.  
  
Phoebe sighed, trying to recall all the details of the vision. Finally her eyes brighten and she replied, "She was down at that new office building that just opened up downtown, The Vega building! I can't tell which floor she's on, but she's there I know it."  
  
"Are you positive?" Paige asked, tilting her head to the side.  
  
"Absolutely. There was a sign behind her that clearly said 'The Vega Building'. I'm sure if we went down there and described her someone would be able to tell us where she is."  
  
"Alright then, let's go," Piper said as she stood up.  
  
"Are you sure you're up for this, sweetie? I mean after all that just happened..." Phoebe asked.  
  
Piper forced a smile and replied, "I'm fine. We need to find this girl, I can worry about my personal problems later. Paige, can you orb us to The Vega Building?"  
  
"No problem," Paige told her, sighing a bit.  
  
"Good, then let's go."  
  
Phoebe and Paige stood, and the three sisters interlocked arms. Paige began to orb them, and they instantly broke apart into blue light. The three disappeared and reassembled behind The Vega Building mere seconds later.  
  
"Okay, so what now?" Paige asked, glancing around.  
  
"We go inside and ask around, duh," Piper answered.  
  
"And say what? 'Have you seen a girl about this tall with brown hair?' Yeah, that'll help us find her," Phoebe said.  
  
"Got any other ideas?"  
  
"Well, no..."  
  
"Alright then," Piper replied in that sarcastic tone of hers, pushing past them both. She walked around the front of the building, and pulled open the main double doors. She walked up to the front desk, her two sisters trailing behind, and put on a fake smile. She placed her hands upon the counter and looked across to the woman sitting behind it.  
  
"Hey there, how ya doing? We're looking for a woman, she's about-"  
  
"There!" Phoebe interrupted, pointed excitedly down the hall to a woman who looked just like the one in her premonition. "That's her!"  
  
"Well that was easy," Paige replied, turning to follow Phoebe who was already running after the woman.  
  
"Nevermind," Piper told the confused receptionist, then she took off after Phoebe and Paige.  
  
"Hey, hey!" Phoebe exclaimed as she came to a skidding stop behind the woman. "We need to talk to you."  
  
"In private," Piper added, casting a glance back at the receptionist.  
  
"About what?" the woman asked, her eyebrow raised in question.  
  
"About your powers," Piper replied under her breath so that only the four of them could hear.  
  
"Powers," the woman echoed, her lips curving into a small smirk. "The psychological hospital is next door ladies, I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you."  
  
"We're completely serious," Phoebe told her. "I had a premonition about you earlier today, fighting a demon behind this building."  
  
The woman looked around a bit, then nodded slightly, gesturing for them to follow. She then replied, "Let's talk in my office."  
  
The three sisters followed her down the hall, then entered the office behind her. After they were all in the room she closed the doors, and walked over to shut all the blinds in the room. She paused to walk to her intercom, informing the woman at the front desk to hold all her calls. She then sat down in the chair behind her desk, folding her arms across her chest and looking up at them.  
  
"Okay, tell me again how you knew who I was and how to find me?" she asked.  
  
"I had a premonition," Phoebe explained again, glancing down at the nameplate which sat upon her desk. "We're witches, Brandy."  
  
"Witches?" Brandy asked, not unbelieving, but curious.  
  
"And not just any witches," Paige added. "We're the Charmed Ones."  
  
Brandy's eyes widened a bit, and her hands fell down to her sides. She sat there for a moment, regarding the women in front of her. Could they possibly be the three that she had been searching for? After moments of not saying a word, she stood and walked around to the front of the desk to look each one of them directly in the eyes, one at a time. Finally, she spoke.  
  
"You're the Charmed Ones?" she asked slowly. "Prue's sisters?"  
  
"You know Prue?" Piper asked, her eyes narrowing a bit.  
  
"Knew her," Brandy corrected, then looked to Phoebe. "She's the one who gave me the powers you saw in your vision."  
  
"But how? And why?" Phoebe asked, clearly confused.  
  
"I'm not quite sure," Brandy replied with a sigh. "When her spirit came to me, she said something about me being The Protector, and that now it was my turn to watch over her sisters... The Charmed Ones. I've been looking for you every since, but without knowing anything about you it was like looking for a needle in a haystack."  
  
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Piper asked.  
  
"Ask the elders, I'm sure they probably know something about it."  
  
"Our whitelighter has already talked to the elders about you, and they know nothing of another Charmed One."  
  
"But that's just it," Brandy said with a small smile, "I'm not a Charmed One like you are. I'm The Protector, whatever that may be."  
  
"Alright look," Phoebe said, glancing around the office. "How much trouble would you get in if you were to leave with us right now?"  
  
"I'd probably get fired, but then again this is more important than my job. I'll leave whenever you're ready for me to."  
  
Piper nodded a bit then said, "Let's go, then. We'll go back to our place and talk this over."  
  
"Just take a hold of my arm and I'll orb us all out," Paige said, talking hold of Piper and Phoebe.  
  
Brandy stood and walked over to where the three sisters stood and took hold of Paige's arm, preparing herself to be orbed. She had never been orbed before, so it was quite the new sensation. She expected it to be painful to have your body broken down into particles of light, but it was strangely peaceful and calm. Within seconds, they were standing in the livingroom of the Halliwell manor.  
  
"Well, that was interesting," Brandy said in awe, glancing around the livingroom.  
  
"You've never orbed before?" Paige asked.  
  
"No, I've never met a whitelighter before-- or rather a whitelighter / witch. I've only had experience with Prue's powers and my own."  
  
"You have your own powers?" Phoebe asked, sitting down on the couch.  
  
"Yes, aura perception and empathy. Of course neither of those powers are very strong, I haven't had much time to hone in on them. But now that I'm where I should be and with who I should be, I'll have to work harder to focus on them and practice."  
  
"Empathy, as in controlling other people's emotions?" Paige asked.  
  
Brandy nodded and replied, "I can make people feel a certain way, but I can't control their thoughts or anything like that. If someone is sad I can help to make them happy, but I can only do it if they are willing to feel the emotion. Can't make someone feel what they don't want to."  
  
"If you have aura perception, then how did you not know we were the Charmed Ones? Or for that matter, why did you act like we were crazy when we mentioned your powers?" Piper asked, still not trusting her.  
  
"For one I had no idea what the auras of the Charmed Ones looked like, if I did I would have been able to find you a long time ago. As far as acting like you had lost your minds, did you expect me to act like I knew what you were talking about in front of everyone? Of all people you should know about the value of keeping the power a secret."  
  
"That sounds like a logical explanation, but I still don't know how we're supposed to trust you right away. I mean we meet you and then we're supposed to accept that you're our grand protector without any doubts? I don't think so," Piper said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Plus, we already have a whitelighter."  
  
"I fully expected you guys to have doubts, that's only fair," Brandy replied with a small smile. "And I know you have a whitelighter, but they can't always protect you from everything."  
  
"Exactly," came Leo's voice from behind Piper, Phoebe and Paige, startling everyone in the room.  
  
"Damnit Leo, I told you about doing that!" Piper exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry," Leo replied with a sheepish smile, moving around to greet Brandy. "I'm Leo, the previously mentioned whitelighter."  
  
"So I gathered," Brandy said with a smile. "Any news from the higher ups?"  
  
"Actually yes," Leo said, moving so that he could face and talk to everyone at the same time. "It turns out Brandy is indeed The Protector, meaning that she is the successor of the Charmed Ones. If all of you were to die, she would receive your powers and live on to hold the power of three."  
  
"All by herself?" Paige asked, obviously stunned.  
  
"All by herself. That's why Prue's spirit appeared to her and gave her the powers she once had. Brandy is literally Prue's replacement, which Paige, takes the heat off of you for once," he added with a smile.  
  
"Thank God!" she exclaimed, tossing her arms up into the air.  
  
"So okay, we know who and what she is... now what?" Piper asked.  
  
"Well, she is technically one of you," Leo said.  
  
"And that technically makes her a sister to us," Paige added, hinting at a certain something.  
  
"Oh no no no," Piper exclaimed. "She is not moving in!"  
  
"We just met her," Phoebe agreed.  
  
"We don't know her, she doesn't know us--"  
  
"We could all start by not referring to 'her' as if she wasn't here," Brandy interrupted, then looked to Paige. "But they're right, it's way too soon for me to think about moving in. You already have the power of three, you don't even need me around just yet."  
  
"That's not exactly true," Leo told her. "You're not just their successor, you're their protector. The Charmed Ones are the most important witches in the history of witches, and they need just a bit more protection than your average witch. When Prue died the elders decided it was time to choose The Protector, and so they did. It's now your duty to devote your life to their safety... so maybe moving in isn't such a bad idea."  
  
The four woman stared at Leo as if he had grown another head, mouths agape with shock that he had even suggested such a thing. Not only that, but what a giant responsibility to suddenly dump on someone's shoulders. One day you're just a simple office manager, and the next your life decides the fate of the balance of good and evil. It was enough to make someone go insane.  
  
"Wow," Phoebe managed to say. "I mean... wow."  
  
"No shit," Brandy replied, running a hand through her long brown hair, fingers tangling in the small braid that hung over her shoulder. "Talk about your life altering news."  
  
"We don't even have room," Piper muttered, quite frizzed by the whole situation. "There are only three bedrooms."  
  
"Then two of us can share a room, big deal," Paige said, shrugging her shoulders as if it was nothing.  
  
"This is crazy."  
  
"This is insane," Phoebe added.  
  
"This is absolutely, positively nuts," Brandy said.  
  
"Oh come on guys, it's not that bad!" Paige exclaimed. "It'll be like getting a new room mate, or three new room mates depending on how you look at it. It'll be fun!"  
  
Piper, Phoebe and Brandy all turned to look at Paige, eyebrows raised and jaws set. How could she be so excited about something like this?! Of course that was Paige for you, even after maturing as a person and as a witch, she was still a party girl at heart.  
  
"Well, I guess that's as formal of an invite as you're going to get," Piper muttered, glancing over at Brandy.  
  
"And I guess this is as formal of an acceptance as you're going to get," Brandy shot back.  
  
"Then it's settled," Phoebe said, standing and clasping her hands together. "Take your time, get your stuff in whenever it's convenient. Paige, would you mind orbing her things over? It will make it go so much faster."  
  
"No problem," Paige replied. "Just one question though, what about sleeping arrangements?"  
  
"Maybe she can sleep on the couch," Piper suggested sarcastically.  
  
"Better idea, why don't you two share a room?" Phoebe said with a grin.  
  
"With the possibility of her killing me in my sleep? I don't think so," Brandy replied.  
  
"Seriously," Phoebe said, pulling both Piper and Brandy up and holding them to her, forcing them close to each other. "I think you guys could end up being the best of friends, don't you Paige? Leo?"  
  
"I'm saying out of this," Leo replied, then used the first excuse he could think of. "Elders are calling, got to go!"  
  
"Leo don't you leave us here with her--" Piper began, but stopped short as soon as the blue light faded and Leo was gone. "Damnit."  
  
"Come on you guys, if we hurry up and get Brandy's things moved in we can go out and have a nice dinner, huh? How does that sound?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"She is not staying in my room!" Piper exclaimed.  
  
"Oh yes she is, deal with it!" Phoebe replied, winking at Paige to say 'this should be good.'  
  
Paige just shook her head and sighed, then stood and motioned to Brandy. "So uh, want to start getting your things moved in now?"  
  
"Sure why not," Brandy muttered, pulling away from Phoebe and tossing a glance over at Piper. If Phoebe didn't know any better, she would have thought it was not a look of frustration, but a... once over?  
  
"Okay..." Phoebe said under her breath, confused by the look.  
  
"What?" Piper asked, pulling away as well and looking up at her.  
  
"Nothing, just thinking," Phoebe replied with a smile, watching as Paige and Brandy orbed out of the room.  
  
Piper just grumbled and began to rant, all the while heading for the kitchen. "I barely have enough room for my stuff, let alone hers, and there's only one bed in my room-- I'm not sharing my bed with her! And my God, how am I ever going to put up with her, she's a total bitch!"  
  
"You're being judgmental," Phoebe said, following after her.  
  
"No I'm not, she keeps giving me these weird looks, and she's got such an attitude."  
  
"Look who's talking," Phoebe replied, plopping down in a chair at the kitchen table. "You weren't very nice to her."  
  
"I had no reason to! She shows up one day and thinks she can just come into our lives and move in--"  
  
"First, it was her destiny to be a part of our lives," Phoebe interrupted. "Second, she wasn't the one who suggested that she move in. If I remember correctly she wasn't too keen on the idea either."  
  
"Which is another reason she has no business being here," Piper said, sitting down as well.  
  
"You have to see this from her point of view as well. She just met us too, and this is a big responsibility that has suddenly been dropped on her out of the blue. She's basically going to have to quit her job and give up her life just to watch over us."  
  
"We have Leo, we don't need her."  
  
Phoebe sighed and shook her head, then said, "I wish you'd give her a chance, Piper. I think once we all get to know her and vice versa things will be just fine."  
  
"Well don't expect me to go and be all nicey-nice to her until she gives me a reason to trust her. I'm still not so sure this isn't all some big scam to get to us, we've been fooled before."  
  
"You heard Leo, the Elders backed up her story. She's The Protector, and it's her job to make sure that a) nothing happens to us, and b) if it does to take over and keep evil at bay."  
  
"Fine, take her side, see if I care," Piper muttered, standing up and heading out of the kitchen and up to her room.  
  
"Oh yeah, this should be interesting alright," Phoebe said on a sigh, putting her head down on the table.  
  
~*~  
End part one  
~*~  
Authors notes: If you've read this far, I have to extend my many thanks to you. I plan on posting this on a weekly basis, with or without reviews. I have already written through chapter six, and I'm working on chapter seven as we speak. If you have the chance, please review and let me know what you think. I'll post chapter two in one week from today. 


	2. Chapter Two

~*~  
Disclaimer, etc. in part one  
~*~  
Authors notes: Part one of this story never showed up on the main Charmed fanfiction page, so I decided to post part two early with hope that it would show. Thank you to the one reviewer who found my story, even though it was only available through my author page. I don't know how you find it, but I'm glad you did, and I'm glad you enjoyed that you have read so far. I sent an e-mail to ff.net, but have received no reply yet. If anyone knows how I can prevent this problem in the future, please let me know!  
  
Book One - Revelations (2/?)  
by: Brandy Leigh  
~*~  
  
Moments later Paige and Brandy reassembled in her apartment, and Brandy immediately made her way to the refrigerator. She opened it and grabbed a beer, popping the top and taking a large swig from it. She closed her eyes and savored the flavor as well as the way it felt going down her throat. She sighed as that light buzz that takes place with the first sip took over her, then opened her eyes and looked up at Paige.  
  
"Alright, here's the deal," she began slowly. "I don't need much, just my clothes, really. Other than that... don't need any furniture."  
  
"Just point me in the right direction," Paige replied.  
  
"Down the hall, first door on your left," Brandy said, taking another swig from her beer and sighing.  
  
"Gotcha."  
  
Paige made her way down the hall and entered Brandy's room, going over to the drawers and opening them. She grabbed a handful of clothes and tossed them on the bed, then grabbed all the clothes out of the closet and tossed them as well. She looked around to make sure there weren't any clothes she was missing, jumping a bit as Brandy came into the room at that exact moment.  
  
"Sorry," Brandy muttered, catching a glimpse at the clothes on the bed and giving Paige a lopsided grin. "Nice packing job."  
  
Paige returned her grin and shrugged. "Hey, whatever. Anything else you wanna bring?"  
  
"Nothing that I need right now, but I might want to come by tomorrow or something and go through some things."  
  
"No problem. Now, I'm not quite sure how we're going to get us and all of these clothes orbed back, so we're going to have to experiment. Get on the bed and piles as many clothes as you can into your lap, and try and make sure the rest is touching you. After that I'll hold on to you and see what I can do."  
  
Brandy nodded and did as she was told, setting her beer down and climbing into the bed. She piled a few handfuls of clothing on top of her, then gathered up the rest around her.  
  
"Okay, let's go this," she said, looking up at Paige.  
  
Paige walked over and placed her hand on Brandy's arm, then closed her eyes and concentrated on both them and the clothing. Within seconds everything had broken into blue light, properly reassembling in Piper's room back at the manor.  
  
"Ha! I did it," Paige said with a grin, until she noticed the fact that a good portion of the clothes were now on Piper's head.  
  
"Did what, succeed in drowning me in... underwear?!" Piper exclaimed, pulling bras off of her head.  
  
Brandy nor Paige could contain their giggles, and soon the two girls were laughing whole heartedly as Piper shot daggers at them with her eyes.  
  
"This is so NOT funny, damnit," Piper grumbled, kicking a few shirts out of her way.  
  
"Hey careful, those are some expensive shirts you're kicking around," Brandy said, stifling more giggles from escaping her lips.  
  
"Whatever, I'm out of here. Call me when you get things straightened up," Piper replied, exiting out of her room, all the while trying to think of a place where she could have a few moments of peace and quiet.  
  
"Piper reeeaaally doesn't like me," Brandy said, bending over to pick up clothing.  
  
"Just give her some time, she didn't like me when I first showed up. I don't think Phoebe did either, for that matter. But atleast you've got Phoebe on your side, and me of course. As long as you don't, you know, piss me off or anything," Paige replied, tossing Brandy a grin as she helped her straighten up.  
  
"Oh shut up," Brandy said, laughing, as she tossed a pair of jeans at Paige's head.  
  
Soon the girls had everything straight, and had Brandy's and Piper's clothes separated in the drawers and in the closet. Paige made a note of whose things were in what places, then left it on the dresser for Piper to take a look at. They then flopped down on the bed to rest after having been working on it for quite some time.  
  
"So, are you seeing anybody?" Paige asked, glancing over at Brandy.  
  
"Ha, I wish!" Brandy replied. "It's sort of hard for me to find people to date and all."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Well, to be completely honest, I'm gay."  
  
Paige sat up quickly and looked down at Brandy, eyes wide with shock. She opened her mouth a few times then closed it before any words came out, not knowing what to say. Finally, she managed to find the words.  
  
"You're gay? As in, you date women?"  
  
"Gay, lesbian, woman-lover. Call me what you want but it all means the same thing," Brandy said with a lopsided grin. "Yes, I date woman."  
  
"Well, I mean... couldn't you go to a gay bar or something?"  
  
"I could, but I really don't like that scene. It's the same thing like with any other bar, and you never really know what you're getting yourself into. For all you know, the person you're picking up could be the biggest crack addict in the world, and run around killing baby kittens just for the hell of it." She shrugged and went on, "I just prefer to meet someone and let a relationship bloom."  
  
"And you do know that I'm not gay, right?" Paige asked, a little worried.  
  
Brandy laughed and said, "Yeah I kind of figured; it's a gaydar thing. Don't worry, I haven't been hitting on you or anything. Just trying to make friends. I've do have to live with you, you know."  
  
Paige let out a sigh of relief and nodded, laying back down on the bed. She couldn't really believe that Brandy was gay, though; who would want to be gay? What in the world could a woman have to offer that was equal to what a man could? Then again she had never put much thought into it, and honestly didn't want a know what two women could do together.  
  
"Well is there anyone you're interested in?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, but I'm not sure I should tell you. Plus, right now it's just a physical attraction, as I know she's not interested. I can tell she's curious though, she's got that bi-curious look in her eyes."  
  
"Oh come on, tell me! I won't tell anyone else, I swear."  
  
"No way," Brandy replied, shaking her head. "I just met her today, so you never know. I may not even be attracted to her tomorrow. Gah, I've said too much already."  
  
"Just met her today? Wait a minute, you said-"  
  
"It's not you Paige, it's..." she sighed and decided she might as well tell her. "Piper."  
  
"Piper?!" Paige exclaimed, this time actually jumping up off of the bed. "Are you serious? You have the hots for Piper?"  
  
Before Brandy could open her mouth to reply, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that someone was standing in the doorway. When she turned to look she saw it was Phoebe, and her cheeks began to flush a furious red.  
  
"Well damn, now I guess the whole world knows," she muttered.  
  
"Everyone but Piper," Phoebe said, coming into the room and closing the door behind her. She didn't look a bit surprised about what she had heard. "I knew you were checking her our earlier, it was so obvious."  
  
"Shut up," Brandy replied, pressing her hands over her face to hide the embarrassment. "I barely know her," she whined. "She hates me."  
  
"She doesn't hate you, she's just wary of you," Phoebe told her, sitting down on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Am I the only one even mildly shocked by this information?" Paige asked, still standing.  
  
"Yes," the other two replied in unison.  
  
"Just shoot me now," Brandy said, letting her arms flop to the side to hang off either side of the bed. "I feel like an idiot. I mean I just met her, and it's only a physical thing. And now everyone knows, and I'm never going to live it down."  
  
"Ah sure you will, unless you try to act out on it. Then Piper might bitchslap you upside the head," Phoebe said with a grin, then shrugged. "Or not, you never know."  
  
"That reminds me," Paige said suddenly, turning to Brandy. "What was it you said about Piper being bi-curious?"  
  
"Oh, I said she has that bi-curious look in her eyes, like she's not sure about her feelings anymore."  
  
Phoebe nodded slightly in agreement, then looked up at a baffled Paige. "It's true. I didn't want to say anything, but that's why Piper broke up with Leo. She came to me about a week ago and told me she was having strange feelings towards women, and that it frightened her. She and I talked about it and we both felt it best for her and Leo to cool things down a bit until she had it figured out."  
  
Brandy smiled and nodded triumphantly, then said, "Told you, gaydar."  
  
"Piper is not gay," Paige said defensively. "You are both nuts."  
  
"Not gay just... confused," Phoebe reassured her.  
  
"Where is she anyway?" Brandy asked curiously, then began to blush again when Phoebe wiggled her brows playfully.  
  
"Downstairs in the livingroom. She said you guys chased her out of here when you, literally, dropped in on her."  
  
Paige couldn't help but giggle at that, remembering the look on Piper's face when she, Brandy and the bundle of clothes orbed into the room and covered Piper. It was absolutely priceless.  
  
"Ah yes," Brandy said with a grin. "Laundry drop, aisle three!"  
  
Paige just shook her head, then started towards the door. She tossed a look over her shoulder at the other two and said, "I'm going to go let her know that we're done in here. Shoo!"  
  
"Oh no, this is my room now too. If she wants to come in here she's going to have to deal with moi."  
  
"I'll tell her that, but she's not going to be haaappyyy..." Paige sang the last word as she exited the room and bounded down the stairs.  
  
The words that Brandy and Phoebe had said continued to repeat in her mind, the things they said about Piper bothering her immensely. How in the world could Piper, of all people, be gay? She and Leo had been the perfect couple, and now out of nowhere these 'feelings' overcome her and rip apart the one thing that made sense in all of their lives.  
  
"It's insane," she murmured outloud as she reached the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"What's insane?" Piper asked, coming around the corner from the kitchen, startling Paige.  
  
"Just something that Brandy and Phoebe were talking about," Paige replied, trying to edge around the truth without lying.  
  
"That's just lovely," Piper said sarcastically, looking up as she heard two giggling voices descending down the stairs. "Speak of the devil."  
  
Brandy smiled and patted Piper's shoulder as she got to the bottom of the stairs, then said, "Room's all yours, buddy. By the way, I get the right side of the bed."  
  
"Like hell!" Piper exclaimed.  
  
Phoebe laughed and pushed Brandy forward towards the living room saying, "No need to argue about who sleeps where, you crazy youngins!"  
  
"Yeah well we'll just see about that," Piper muttered, tossing the napkin she held at the back of Brandy's head.  
  
"I felt that!" Brandy called back, grinning.  
  
"Good!"  
  
"You two are so cute together!" Phoebe exclaimed with a giggle as she finally succeeded in forcing Brandy into the living room.  
  
"What did you say?" Piper yelled back at her, but stopped from going in after them when Paige started pulling her up the stairs.  
  
"Come on," Paige told her, "I want to show you where everything is in your room, now."  
  
"Fine," Piper muttered, following her up the stairs, only half willing. "So what were Brandy and Phoebe talking about that was so insane?" she asked once they were in her room.  
  
"Ah, well..." Paige stuttered, shoving her over to where the note she wrote was resting. "See, it's like this--"  
  
"You moved my underwear? Why?" Piper asked, interrupting.  
  
"Thank God," Paige said under her breath, then answered, "So that all of your stuff would be closer together, but if you don't like it I'm sure Brandy wouldn't mind if you changed things around a bit."  
  
"She better not," Piper muttered as she started moving things around. "Now, what was it they were talking about?"  
  
"Damn. Well, they were talking about... you," she replied, the last word barely audible.  
  
Piper's head snapped around so fast that it was lucky she didn't get whiplash, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She stomped over to Paige and pointed her finger in her face, then began to verbally lash out at her with a crisp tongue.  
  
"About me? What in the hell did they say about me? I swear Paige, you had better tell me every single word that came out of their mouths or so help me God--"  
  
"Alright already!" Paige exclaimed, pushing Piper's finger out of her face. "Just calm down, sheesh." She sighed and began to explain. "See, it all started when Brandy confided something to me, which I probably shouldn't tell you, but for the sake of my life I will. She's gay."  
  
"Gay?" Piper asked.  
  
"Yes," she replied, then continued. "She's gay, and she has a crush on someone. She told me who it was and Phoebe overheard, so then the three of us got to talking about it--"  
  
"Wait," Piper said, holding up her hand to hault her in her words. "You said they were talking about me, then you said they were talking about a gay crush that Brandy had. What exactly are you trying to say here?"  
  
"I'm saying, Piper, that Brandy has a crush on you. And if you tell her that I told you I'll deny every single word."  
  
Piper opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. This went on for a few moments, as she was completely at loss of a proper word for the situation. She finally managed to sit down on the bed, eyes wide with shock, staring off at the wall like it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.  
  
"Earth to Piper," Paige muttered, waving a hand in front of her face.  
  
"Well..." was all that Piper could manage.  
  
"I just told you that our protector has a crush on you, our female protector, and that's all you can say?"  
  
"I don't know what to say, Paige. Actually I do, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear it."  
  
"Try me, I probably already know. I've been talking to Phoebe, Piper. I know what you've been feeling lately."  
  
Piper turned to look at her sister, a slight frown set upon her face as well as embarrassment in her eyes. She forced the smallest of smiles, trying to cover up everything else. When she finally spoke, her voice was cracked with emotion and confusion.  
  
"Yeah, I've been really confused. Phoebe and I both agreed that to keep seeing Leo would only further confuse me, so that's why I broke things off with him. And uh, the reason I don't have much to say over this whole thing with Brandy is... there's a reason I haven't been too nice to her," Piper said, looking at the floor. "I was confused, and I acted in the only way I knew how: I lashed out."  
  
"Oh for pete's sake!" Paige shouted, throwing her arms up into the air for the umpteenth time that day. "Is Jupiter's orbit in retrograde or something? It's like nothing makes sense anymore Piper, I swear. Just don't say another word, you're coming through loud and clear!"  
  
With that, Paige made her way out of the room and downstairs into the living room. She looked over at Brandy and Phoebe, shaking her head.  
  
"Just so you know Phoebe, things are about to get ten times more interesting around here. I'm going for a drive before I frickin' explode. I'll be back when I'm sane again, though if I go by that I might never be home!" she exclaimed as she grabbed her keys and went out the door.  
  
"What in the world is her problem?" Brandy asked, raising a questioning brow.  
  
"I have no idea," Phoebe muttered.  
  
Meanwhile, upstairs, Piper was laying down on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. Her face was slack, emotionless, as she ran thoughts over and over in her head. She knew that she was physically attracted to Brandy, and that Brandy was physically attracted to her. What did this mean, and what was she going to do now? Did she act on it, go to her and discuss it, or maybe just let things develop on their own?  
  
"What are you talking about, Piper?" she asked herself outloud. "You aren't really gay, just curious. Everyone gets curious at one point in their life, and this is your curious stage. Plus you just frickin' met her! It's not like you're in love with her, you can so get over this. Great, now I'm frickin' schizophrenic!" Upon a sigh she added, "I hate my life."  
  
Across town, a demonic meeting was taking place underground, beneath the Vega Building. Among those in attendance were Cole, the seer, and each leader of the different demon factions. The majority of the above mentioned stood around in a circle, while Cole stood in the center with his hands crossed over each other behind him.  
  
Steeping forward, the seer bowed her head, then cast her all knowing eyes back up at the man in the middle, Cole, the source. Set upon her face was a frown, and she spread her arms open wide as she let her gaze run over all the others in the room. She then turned her eyes back to Cole, the calmness in them unsettling.  
  
"It has happened, my liege. As we feared, the Charmed Ones have come into contact with their protector. I have looked forth to my visions, and in the future I see nothing but death and destruction to all our kind," she informed him in a soothing voice.  
  
Cole nodded his head slowly, then took a step forward to maneuver around the seer. Once behind her he turned to watch her from his new position, his hands coming around in front of him to reveal clenched fists. He suddenly lashed out, creating an immense fire ball which vanquished the faction leader nearest him.  
  
"This," he spoke with clenched teeth, "is not acceptable."  
  
"I agree," the seer replied, nodding a bow in agreement. "What is it you have in mind to rectify the situation?"  
  
"You tell me!" Cole roared, slamming his fist backward to vanquish yet another faction leader. "You are my seer, it is your job to direct me in matters such as this!"  
  
"My lord, forgive me for saying, but if you continue to remove your followers at the speed you are now, there will be none left to govern our troops. As difficult as a time this is, you must remain calm and in control. Otherwise, all is lost."  
  
Cole turned his head to the side, the veins in his neck straining as the bones within popped with a reverberating crack. He turned to look back at the remaining faction leaders, each standing with fear etched in their eyes. He waved his hand dismissively, and each shimmered out without hesitation, running off to inform their factions of the latest development.  
  
"My lord?" the seer asked, curious as to what he had in mind.  
  
"For now, we do nothing. We will sit back and watch. You," he accented the word, pointing an accusing finger, "will keep me informed with each move they make. Each time they breath, blink, sneeze, you tell me what changes it causes in the future. Understood?"  
  
"Of course my lord," she replied, bowing once more before disappearing as the others had.  
  
Once alone, Cole made his way over to a picture he had tacked on the wall. Although this was not his humble abode, it was nearly a second home to him. The picture was one of him and Phoebe, nose to nose, both smiling as if they were the most happy they had ever been. He growled and snatched the picture down, clutching it to his chest before flaming out from the room as well.  
  
It was now morning back at the manor, and all were sleeping peacefully. Piper had finally agreed to let Brandy sleep in her room (on the right side of the bed, no less), and both were huddled tightly underneath the blanket that grams had made for Piper when she was merely twelve. Each was shivering slightly against the cold, yet still asleep.  
  
After a few moments of tossing and turning on Brandy's part, Piper was jostled awake. She groaned and looked at the clock, and grumbled when she realized it was almost time for her to get up and head into the club. It was then she noticed Brandy's hand draped across her stomach.  
  
"Excuse me, privacy bubble!" she exclaimed, shoving Brandy's arm off and causing her to go tumbling off of the bed. "Whoopsie."  
  
"Frickin' fucker noodles!" Brandy shouted, sitting up. She glared over at Piper, shoving hair from her face.  
  
"'Fricking fucker noodles'? What the hell kind of a comeback is that?" Piper asked, trying her best to remain angry and not laugh.  
  
"Oh I don't know Piper, the kind you use when someone shoves you out of the bed at--" she looked at the clock-- "six-thirty in the morning!"  
  
"Yeah, sorry about that," Piper replied with a smirk. "You were kind of invading my privacy bubble there with your arm draped across me."  
  
"Oh... sorry," Brandy muttered, her face turning beet red as she stood up and rushed over to grab a handful of clothes from her drawer.  
  
"No problem!" Piper called back, finally letting out her laughter as Brandy ran out the room and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind herself. With a grin she added, "Maybe this will be fun after all."  
  
~*~  
End part two  
~*~  
Authors notes: There you have it folks, chapter two. As you can see, things are much different than they are on the show. Many more things are different in later parts, and I have a plot in mind that should prove very interesting. I would appreciate any input or constructive criticism any of you might have! -Brandy 


	3. Chapter Three

Book One - Revelations (3/?)  
by: Brandy Leigh  
~*~  
  
"Good Morning!" Phoebe exclaimed joyfully, making her way into the kitchen where Paige, Brandy and Piper were all sipping coffee.  
  
"If you say so," Brandy muttered, glaring over at Piper.  
  
"What?" Piper asked innocently. "You invaded the bubble, I reclaimed my space."  
  
Paige and Phoebe looked at each other for a sign that the other knew what the she was talking about. Neither seemed to know, so Phoebe shrugged and made her way over to the coffee pot. Once she had gotten her mug of coffee, she settled down in the chair next to Brandy's.  
  
"So how was the first night for the lovebirds?" Phoebe asked with an overly sweet voice. She was answered by two very cold glares. "Hmph, forgive me for asking!"  
  
Paige stifled a laugh and asked, "Why are you in such a good mood this morning, Pheebs?"  
  
"I have a date with Cole tonight," she sang in reply.  
  
Paige and Piper glanced at each other, then looked back over at Phoebe. Brandy raised a curious brow, seeing as she didn't know Phoebe was in a relationship with anyone.  
  
"I used to date a guy named Cole a while back. We were together for six years, two of them engaged," Brandy told them.  
  
"But you're gay," Paige replied, a confused look on her face.  
  
Brandy tensed briefly, flitted a quick glance at Piper, then said, "I wasn't always gay, Paige."  
  
"Mmm," Phoebe grunted, trying to speak around a mouth full of coffee. "Not exactly true. It's thought that people are actually born gay, they just don't realize it until later in life."  
  
"I wasn't gay when I was with him, believe me. I was truly in love with him, and he left me for some woman before we ever got married."  
  
"Is that what made you gay?" Paige asked.  
  
Brandy nodded and replied, "I was so emotionally shaken that I swore off men for a year. After that, things just sort of fell into place."  
  
"Ha! See? Things 'fell into place' for you. Born gay, realized later," Phoebe said, matter of factly.  
  
Brandy just smiled and shook her head, patting Phoebe on the arm. "Mmm, well I just hope your Cole stays around and doesn't leave you."  
  
"Me too," she replied, standing and taking her coffee with her. "I'm going to go finish getting ready for work. You three behave!"  
  
"Will do," Brandy said, then looked to Paige and Piper as soon as she was gone. "Okay, spill. What is it you guys have against him."  
  
"I think he's still evil, but Piper is giving him the benefit of the doubt. I'm slowly winning her over though," Paige told her.  
  
"Still evil? What are we talking about here?"  
  
"Cole had an alter ego by the name of Balthesor, the most powerful and well respected demon of the underworld. We vanquished his demon half a while ago, but Paige thinks he's still working for evil," Piper said.  
  
"And now that we've vanquished the source, he's most likely working on getting followers," Paige added.  
  
"So says you," Piper retaliated. "I don't know why you insist on making Phoebe feel bad with all of your accusations. Cole has proven that he's no longer working for the underworld, and he's actually helped us fight on more than one occasion."  
  
"I still don't trust him," Paige muttered, grabbing her coffee up. "I'm going to get dressed, talk amongst yourselves."  
  
Brandy sighed and looked over at Piper nervously, sipping her coffee. What in the world was she supposed to talk about with her now that they were alone together. Men? Doubtful. Sex? Like hell. Work? What work? Now that she had up and left the Vega Building, and without even a call or a note, she was more than likely jobless now.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts," Piper asked, being civil for a change.  
  
"Oh!" Brandy exclaimed, jumping out of her revere. "I was actually thinking about what to talk to you about. I guess we really don't have anything in common, huh?"  
  
"I wouldn't say that," Piper muttered, then looked back up at Brandy and forced a smile. "I'm sure we have something in common, we just haven't realized it yet."  
  
Brandy leaned back in her chair a bit, giving Piper a suspicious look. "How come you're being nice to me all of the sudden? What happened to 'I don't know you, I don't trust you, get the hell out of my house'?"  
  
Piper shrugged a bit and said, "I guess I've just been doing a lot of thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that it might be nice to have you around here." She paused. "I mean, nice having a protector around. With the factions pulling apart to struggle for a shot at being the next source, we're going to need all the help we can get."  
  
"How do we know there isn't already a new source yet?"  
  
"The source would never sit back and let us live our lives in peace. They'd be doing their best to get rid of us as soon as possible and gain respect."  
  
"Maybe, but did you ever think that the source had heard you've come into contact with you're protector? If they had, it would be in their best interest not to just charge in head first, but yet devise a plan to separate us."  
  
"I'd never thought about that," Piper said on a sigh. "You're right, which means we need to be all the more careful. None of us should be alone, not with your theory hanging over our heads."  
  
"Sorry about that," Brandy said with a small smile.  
  
"No, it's good that you thought of it. None of us had, and it could have been a big mistake on our part. Thank you."  
  
"Really?" Brandy asked, surprised to hear Piper's admission.  
  
"Really," Piper replied, patting her hand with a smile before grabbing her coffee and standing. "I'd stay and talk longer, but I'm due at the club soon. We just hired a new crew and I have a lot of work to do."  
  
"No problem, I'll see you tonight when you get home."  
  
"You can count on it," Piper replied as she grabbed her keys and headed for the door.  
  
"Well," Brandy said to the empty kitchen. "Things are looking up."  
  
Brandy was surprised the trio already trusted her enough to leave her in the house alone all day, but she wasn't surprised when Leo orbed in and checked on her. Other than that her day was uneventful.  
  
By the time she had cleaned up the house to show her appreciation to her housemates for letting her live there, and called in for a change of address on her important paperwork, it was almost time for Paige and Phoebe to be coming home. She almost wished it was Piper who was coming home, seeing as a talk had been promised to her before she left.  
  
About as soon as that thought had crossed her mind, the front door swung open and Phoebe came flying in. She dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a bagel, shoving it in her mouth as she dashed back out without even a hello. Five minutes later she ran back downstairs, her clothes changed, and a brush running through her hair as she scrambled about.  
  
Suddenly Phoebe paused, and her eyes traveled over to where a very amused Brandy sat, writing out checks at the kitchen table. Her eyebrow was raised and her lips were set into a smirk as she tried her best not to laugh at Phoebe in her hurry.  
  
"So, how long do you have?" Brandy asked, setting her pen down.  
  
"About twenty minutes, and yes I know I look like an idiot. I got overloaded with work; I thought I'd never get out of there... please tell me you weren't in here when I first came home, I'd feel so bad."  
  
"Okay, I wasn't in here when you first came home."  
  
"Ohhh, yes you were," Phoebe replied, sitting down across from her with a pout. "I'm so sorry Brandy, I was just in such a rush that I didn't even notice you. That doesn't sound any better I know, but--"  
  
"Really," Brandy interrupted, placing her hand over Phoebe's, "it's okay. Go, run, shoo. Get ready for your date!"  
  
Phoebe smiled and stood, giving Brandy a quick hug. She shouted a quick 'thank you' as she dashed back up the stairs, leaving Brandy behind to smile and shake her head.  
  
"Kids today," Brandy said, going back to her checks. Her peace wasn't intact long, for soon after Paige came stomping in.  
  
"Life sucks, work sucks, kill me now!" Paige cried, plopping down in the chair Phoebe had occupied. "Why me?"  
  
"I don't know, why you?" Brandy asked with a lopsided grin.  
  
"It was a rhetorical question," Paige replied, then began to explain. "My client decided to renounce her claim for custody of her children, after all the paperwork was finished, and the children were ready to move in with her. Now we have to work double time to find them a foster home or they'll end up back in the orphanage."  
  
"How long do you have?"  
  
"Anywhere from ten days to two weeks. It all depends on whether or not the orphanage decides to be generous. These poor kids have been moved from home to home, and I thought they would finally be settling down. I guess it was too much to hope for," Paige said with a sigh.  
  
"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Brandy replied. "You just have to have faith that the kids will end up where they belong. For all you know, being with their mother could have been the worse place for them. You can't predict what kind of situation it could have been."  
  
Paige smiled then said, "You're right. Thank you for saying that, it would have bugged me all night."  
  
"Anytime. Now I'm going to suggest something else. Go take a nice, hot bath with your favorite CD playing down low. Put everything else out of your mind and relax," Brandy said, placing her hand on Paige's arm.  
  
"Ohhh, that sounds really nice. I am so going to do that, and if anyone bugs me I'll slap them upside the head."  
  
"I'll spread the word that Paige Matthews is not to be spoken to for the next few hours. That way everyone has fair warning, and they will approach you at their own risk. If they get hurt, it's their fault!"  
  
Paige laughed, then turned to head up the stairs and run the water for her bath. As she left, Brandy leaned back in her chair and smiled contentedly. For once she had the chance to use her empathy to soothe others and help them, and it made her feel good about herself. They had no idea she was doing it, but if it was working, they had the desire and were making it work on their own.  
  
"Life is good," Brandy said to herself, jumping when a knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts. She shouted up the stairs, "I got it!" as she ran to the door.  
  
When Brandy opened the door she was shocked into silence. She stood completely still, her eyes wide with shock. The man standing opposite her seemed to be in the same state, his jaw tense. The two stared at each other, and neither said a word. This is how Phoebe found Brandy and Cole when she made her way down the stairs.  
  
"Hey, who is it?" Phoebe asked, then stopped in her tracks when she saw the way the two were looking at each other. "Ohhh, this isn't good."  
  
"Cole," Brandy finally managed to say, the bitterness and anger clearly evident in her voice.  
  
"Brandy," Cole said, his voice the same. "Long time no see."  
  
"Yeah, no shit," Brandy replied, turning away and brushing past Phoebe without another word. She disappeared up the stairs, leaving the two alone at the door.  
  
"What in the hell is she doing here?" Cole asked as he entered the manor and shut the door behind himself.  
  
"She's living here with us, now. She told me about her past history with someone named Cole, but I didn't realize you were the same Cole she had been with," Phoebe told him.  
  
"You can't be serious. She's living with you?! Why would you let her live here with you, Phoebe? She's a vicious, vindictive bitch with nothing on her mind but her own welfare!"  
  
"And I wonder why, Cole. She said you were together for six years, engaged for two of them. Who was this woman you just up and left her for, huh? Was it me?"  
  
"Phoebe, now is not a good time to discuss this," Cole replied, obviously trying to avoid the answer.  
  
"It was me, wasn't it?" Phoebe asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want an honest answer, Cole Turner."  
  
As Phoebe was giving him the third degree, Piper came bustling into the manor, her arms overloaded with paperwork. She noticed the tension in the air and kept right on moving towards the stairs, nodding her hello.  
  
"Don't mind me, quarrel on!" she exclaimed, disappeared up the stairs.  
  
And quarrel on they did, the sound drifting up the stairs to Piper and Brandy's room where Piper was now entering. She sighed and dropped the paperwork on the desk in her room, then closed the door and looked over at Brandy. She raised a brow at the sight of the woman who now looked very tense and pissed off as all hell.  
  
"What the hell happened while I was gone? Did they announce World War 3 without me knowing it?" Piper asked, tossing her arms up in the air.  
  
Brandy grumbled and flopped back on the bed, glancing over at Piper. She shrugged and said, "They might as well have. Cole is downstairs with Phoebe."  
  
"So I saw," Piper replied, not getting the point.  
  
"Think about what I said this morning, Piper. The Cole, my Cole, is downstairs with Phoebe."  
  
"Whoa-ho-ho," Piper said, eyes wide. "Are you telling me that Phoebe is dating the very same Cole that you almost married?"  
  
"That's exactly what I'm telling you," Brandy said, wrapping her arms up over her head to cover her eyes. "And from what I can only gather, he and Phoebe began dating right after he left me. Meaning..."  
  
"...he left you for Phoebe," Piper finished for her.  
  
"Mmm," was Brandy's only response.  
  
"Damn."  
  
"Mmm."  
  
Piper sighed and moved to sit next to Brandy on the bed, poking her in the side as she sat to make her look at her. When she did, she smiled and took Brandy's hand in hers. She hesitantly brushed her thumb over the back of it, locking eyes with her.  
  
"Don't let this get to you. Your power helps you cheer other people up, now let someone else cheer you up for a change. I want you to take your mind off of this whole situation, and listen to me. Close your eyes."  
  
Brandy gave her a weird look, but complied and closed her eyes. She waited to see what Piper was going to do, and was very surprised when she felt Piper lay down next to her and wrap her arm around her.  
  
"This, this is real. Downstairs, that's just a bunch of bullshit," Piper told her.  
  
"What are you doing?" Brandy asked in a whisper, afraid to speak fully for fear she'd break the moment.  
  
"Just trying to make you relax."  
  
"I have to honestly tell you, this is not making me relax. Not that I want you to move, but right now relaxing is the last thing on my mind. I hope that doesn't offend you," Brandy said, opening her eyes slowly to look over at her.  
  
"Not at all," Piper replied with a smile.  
  
"Piper, if I try something right now... you have to promise not to slap me and kick me out of your room."  
  
"I promise, I won't slap you or kick you out," Piper said, biting her lip slightly.  
  
Brandy nodded and took a deep breath, briefly glancing down at Piper's arm across her midsection. She looked back up and locked eyes with the woman laying next to her, then ever so slightly began to lean in. Once she was mere centimeters apart, she paused, then captured Piper's lips with her own.  
  
Piper sighed and surprised herself by returning the kiss, her lips parting to deepen it. Brandy happily complied to the unspoken request, softly running her tongue along Piper's bottom lip before letting it slip into her mouth. One hand came up to tangle in Piper's hair, while the other went to her hip to draw her closer.  
  
'I never thought I'd be doing this,' Piper thought to herself, 'but I have to admit, it doesn't feel bad. It actually feels very good, and right.'  
  
Brandy broke the kiss first, licking her lips to savor every last taste of Piper's lips. She smiled and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Piper's ear, then dropped another quick kiss on her lips.  
  
"I've been wanting to do that since you first walked into my office yesterday," Brandy whispered. "I can't believe you let me do it."  
  
"Me either," Piper whispered back. "I've been confused lately, and that's why I've been short with you. That kiss, it felt right. I'm sorry for the way I was acting, Brandy."  
  
"Don't apologize, I understand. I went through the same thing with the first woman I was with. I was so confused after my dealings with Cole, and it took me forever to get used to the idea that I was attracted to a woman. It's only normal."  
  
"Hey, if I try something right now, you have to promise not to slap me and kick me out of our room," Piper said, grinning as she repeated the same words Brandy said earlier.  
  
"Our room?" Brandy asked, raising a brow. "I like the sound of that. Lay it on me, Piper."  
  
Piper smiled and leaned in, brushing her lips against Brandy's. She sighed contentedly when she was pulled close again, and she let her arms slip up around her neck. Brandy deepened the kiss immediately, rolling over to position herself on top of Piper. She wasn't about to ruin everything and make a big move, but the new position gave her a better advantage.  
  
Both were so lost in the moment that neither of them heard the door open, the loud gasp, or the stuttering words of Paige. It wasn't until the door slammed and loud footsteps could be heard bumbling that the stairs that they pulled away from each other with wide eyes.  
  
"Oh my God, who was that?" Piper asked, trying to sit up.  
  
Brandy slid back off of Piper and ran a hand through her hair before saying, "I have no idea. I'm sorry, Piper. I shouldn't have--"  
  
"No, don't you dare apologize. Come on," she replied, standing and taking Brandy's hand to pull her up. "We'll go set things straight right now. Do not stress out, okay?"  
  
Brandy sighed and nodded, following Piper out of the room and down the stairs. When they got to the bottom they saw that Cole had apparently left, and now Phoebe was standing in the middle of the livingroom with wide eyes as Paige threw a rush of words at her about what she saw.  
  
When Phoebe noticed that the two women were standing at the bottom of the stairs, their hands held together, she put a hand up to silence Paige. She pushed past her sister and went over to the two, leaving a bewildered Paige behind her.  
  
"Before anyone says another word," Phoebe began slowly, "we've all had a bad day. A lot have things have been piled on us yesterday and today, so we need to just approach everything calmly."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement, and no one dared to speak another word. They all stood there and looked at Phoebe, waiting for her to continue in her little speech.  
  
"Paige had a crappy day at work, my boyfriend is Brandy's ex-fiancé, and Piper and Brandy were making out upstairs. Okay, so we have the facts together." She paused and looked from one person to the next. "Now what?"  
  
Paige stared at Phoebe like she'd lost her mind and exclaimed, "Excuse me, that's all you can think of?"  
  
"I know what we do next," Brandy muttered, pulling away from Piper and walking over to grab the phone. "We order Chinese. Chinese food solves everything. Chicken chow mien and chicken fried rice sound good? Oh, and eggs roles of course, not to mention about forty fortune cookies."  
  
The three sisters glances at each other, then back over at Brandy. They were all confused and didn't understand how she could be in the mood to order Chinese at a moment like this.  
  
"What?" Brandy asked, pausing for a moment as she gave her order. "If we live together long enough you'll get use to this. When I'm stressed I order Chinese... I eat a lot of Chinese." Then into the phone, "No, I've actually moved, Ling-san."  
  
"She's on a 'san' basis with the staff?" Paige asked no one in particular.  
  
Brandy proceeded to give her new address to the woman on the other end of the phone, then hung up and turned to look back over at the others. She leaned against the wall and flitted a small, nervous smile, knowing that a line of questioning was soon to come.  
  
"So, did you have a nice day?" Phoebe asked wryly, seemingly avoiding the obvious subject.  
  
Brandy began to giggle softly, leaning her head back against the wall. Before long Piper had joined in, as well as Phoebe and Paige, and in minutes the four were laughing whole heartedly. The tension that was in the air lightened a bit, and when the laughter had died down Brandy proceeded to speak.  
  
"I'm just going to come right out and say it, because it needs to be said. Phoebe, I have no problems with you dating Cole. I can't stand the man, but I don't want that to have any affect on your relationship with him. If you love him, keep seeing him," she said, not addressing the Piper situation.  
  
Phoebe smiled and walked over to hug Brandy, then replied, "Thank you, that means a lot. Cole and I have a lot to work through right now, and I'm not too happy he never told me about you. But I do love him, and I thank you for your outlook."  
  
Brandy returned the hug, then glanced over at Paige who still seemed a bit tense about what she saw happening upstairs. She sighed and said, "Hey, we'll talk later okay?"  
  
Paige nodded, forcing a small smile. As much as she had wanted Brandy to move in, these past two days had been very stressful for her. But what exactly had she expected to come of it all? A complete stranger moves in, and everything is supposed to go smooth and perfect? That would be highly doubtful, especially for the Charmed Ones.  
  
Everyone seemed to be lost in though for several moments: Paige mulling over the recent stress, Phoebe going over the Cole situation time and time again, Piper wondering if everything was about to change because of what she and Brandy had been doing, and Brandy wondering if moving in had been a good idea. Certainly she had stirred up a lot of trouble.  
  
Of course, moving in with these people had been the option that made the most sense. Being their protector, it was her duty to watch over them as much as possible. While living in her own apartment across town, giving them her full attention would have been a difficult task. Moving in with them made it all the more easy to watch over them.  
  
Yet, at what cost? Was it really worth it all to disrupt this family's entire balance of sanity? Coming here had begun a downfall of emotions, for her, and for the sisters. She had weakened the bond between Phoebe and Cole (although for all she cared, Cole could die tomorrow and she wouldn't care either way), made the moves on Piper, and stressed Paige all to hell and back.  
  
"Earth to Brandy!" Piper suddenly exclaimed, noticing the zoned out look on her face.  
  
Brandy jumped and tossed a sheepish smile at the woman who currently sent shivers up her spine, then said, "Sorry, I got lost in the moment, there."  
  
"Didn't we all," Phoebe said with a smile, yet her smile faded a bit when she heard a knock at the door.  
  
Brandy informed the others she would get it, then walked over to answer the door. She greeted the man there, then took the Chinese food from the him. Paying him, she bowed her head in respect, then close the door and sauntered back on into the kitchen, bouncing happily.  
  
"Cha'mon, food's here!" she exclaimed, smelling the food with a happy sigh. "Chicken chow pow mow!"  
  
"The girl's not right," Piper said with a grin as she followed her in.  
  
"Ain't that the truth," Paige replied as she walked in and grabbed plates from the cabinet. She placed them out while Phoebe put out the silverware, Brandy separated the food, and Piper got water for them.  
  
The girls sat and talked through dinner, avoiding subjects that would cause more stress within their minds. They laughed over their chicken chow mien, oblivious that yet another demonic meeting was taking place at the very same time.  
  
Cole shook his head, pacing back and forth, eyes every so often turning to look menacingly at a faction leader. Each time the demon would step back and bow his head, showing his respect and fear. Cole finally came to a stop before the seer, and crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"So we know that my... ex-fiancé is The Protector," he began slowly. "We also know that she is currently living with our ARCH ENEMIES!" he bellowed, slamming his fist into the wall.  
  
"With all due respect," a faction leader spoke, out of turn, "does this mean we will now have to spare both she and your current affection?"  
  
Cole paused in his steps, then slowly turned his cold stare to the faction leader. When he spoke it was with crisp preciseness, his jaw clenched to try and calm his voice.  
  
"No, they will both die, along with Paige and Piper. You, Zaleir, will be the first to face The Protector, since you seem to think you are important enough to speak out of turn. Not to mention, asking something that undermines my authority. Go, and die."  
  
Zaleir smirked and nodded; he had gotten the response he was hoping for. He bowed his head lightly and shimmered out before Cole changed his mind and decided to vanquish him. At this point in The Protectors career, she had little to no knowledge as to the extent of her powers. Her ignorance would be her downfall.  
  
~*~  
End part three  
~*~  
Authors notes: ??? 


	4. Chapter Four

Book One - Revelations (4/?)  
by: Brandy Leigh  
~*~  
  
Another night in the Halliwell manor. Phoebe and Paige had gone to bed early, complaining they were both tired beyond reason. Phoebe did stay up long enough, though, to have a rather heated phone discussion with Cole. Both Piper and Brandy opted to stay up after the others to so that they could talk, seeing as there was much to be discussed.  
  
The two sat in the kitchen with candybars and coffee, two things sure to keep them up and running through most of the night. Both were nervous and tense with being alone together, seeing as that hadn't been the case since the incident earlier that morning.   
  
"You know," Piper mumbled around a mouthful of Hershey, "I'm not mad at you."  
  
Brandy sat down her own chocolate and tilted her head to the side a bit, regarding Piper. She sighed lightly and said, "I'm glad you said that, I was worried you would be. I know it takes two to tango, but I wasn't sure if you regretted it or not."  
  
"I don't regret it. Brandy, when we met, I was a total bitch to you. I didn't trust you, even when I had every reason to. Then I realized I was attracted to you, but I didn't stop being rude. I know I already said I'm sorry, but I don't want you to always be afraid I'm going to snap at you."  
  
Brandy smiled and reached across the table to take Piper's hand. She stroked it gently with her thumb and said, "You don't have to apologize Piper, I understand. It's a new experience, and I don't want to scare you. I'll back off, I promise."  
  
"See, that's the thing," Piper replied, biting her lip. "I'm not so sure I want you to back off."  
  
"Piper are you sure?" Brandy asked, although her heart was near pounding out of her chest with joy and excitement. "I don't want you to get involved with something you're not ready for."  
  
"I wasn't ready," Piper began, then took a deep breath, "until I met you. After this morning, I know that... I want to do this."  
  
Brandy broke into a huge grin, and it took her almost a minute to find her voice. When she did, she said, "I'm really glad you said that, Piper. And now, I want to take you out to dinner. How about we go out tomorrow if you're not too busy?"  
  
"Are you asking me out on a date?" Piper asked with a grin.  
  
"You bet your sweet ass I am!"  
  
"Then you've got yourself a deal!"  
  
Brandy stood up and held her hand out to Piper, who took it and stood up as well. She gazed down into her eyes and over her face, memorizing every line and muscle. She slowly leaned down and let her lips brush against Piper's, arms slipping around her waist.  
  
Piper's heart was beating a mile a minute, but she didn't back away. She slipped her own arms around Brandy's neck and kissed her back, sighing contentedly. Neither hesitated to deepen the kiss, and both were severely lost in the moment. They were both oblivious to the man in the shadows, watching and waiting.  
  
The rest of the night went uneventful, the two heading off to bed shortly there after. They slept soundly in each others arms, both dreaming about how their date would go. No one in the house was awaken or disturbed until the morning, when all hell was sure to break loose. And the sun rose.  
  
"Phoebe, where is my shirt?!" Piper exclaimed as she barreled down the stairs, running late for a meeting.  
  
"Which one?" Phoebe called back, shoving her jacket on so she could leave for the office.  
  
"The one that you're wearing," Piper muttered as she reached the living room and saw Phoebe.  
  
"Heh, yeah, sorry Piper. You know you love me; I'll have it back in mint condition tonight!"  
  
"Do you people ever have a peaceful morning?" Brandy grumbled as she shuffled past them towards the kitchen. "I mean really, blah blah blah... where's the damn coffee?"  
  
"I'm with you," Paige said, right behind her.  
  
"It's not my fault I'm a morning person!" Phoebe called after them, grabbing her keys and flitting a smile to Piper. "See ya!"  
  
"Paige, just because you have the day off doesn't mean you can sit around and do nothing," Piper said as she turned to follow Phoebe out. "Try doing some laundry maybe?" With that, she left.  
  
Brandy glanced at Paige over the rim of her coffee cup, the steam blurring her vision a bit. She sighed and said, "Laundry? I have a better idea. How about we rent some movies, pig out like there's no tomorrow, and leave the mess for them to clean."  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me," Paige said with a grin, leaning across to slap Brandy a high five. Since both girls were half asleep, neither of them quite made contact with the other.  
  
"Mmm, speaking of plans, guess what?"  
  
"Uh oh, do I really want to know this?" Paige asked with a weary sigh.  
  
"Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Piper and I talked last night about everything that's been going on, and we came to a decision. She and I are going out to dinner tonight."  
  
"As in, you guys are going on a date?"  
  
Brandy nodded and took another sip of her coffee, reaching back with her other hand to grab a bagel. Meanwhile, Paige sighed and slapped herself in the forehead, then propped her chin up on her hand. She waited for a moment, then laid into a line of questioning.  
  
"You've got to be kidding me. Are you serious? Have you two lost your minds? Can you sit there and tell me that you two are honestly going to go out on a date? Together?"  
  
Brandy just sat there for a minute, then she replied, "Yes, no, yes and yes. We were just going to go to P3, but I think we're going to go to a sit down restaurant instead. We want to take some time to just get to know each other, and figure out if this thing is really going to work."  
  
Paige sighed again and shook her head. As much as she loved her sister, she couldn't believe this was actually happening. Alas, it seemed as if the two were actually going through with it, and she had no choice but to get over it and accept it.  
  
She finally snapped out of her revere, stood and said, "I don't want to think about this anymore. I'm going to get dressed, then we can go rent some movies or something."  
  
From the shadows Zaleir watched with an ever knowing grin. With two of the Charmed Ones gone, only one and a dimwitted protector left, this would be easier than he expected. He silently moved across and through the shadows, sizing up the two, waiting for the right moment to strike.  
  
He continued to look on as Paige stood and made her way up the stairs, his eyes barely glancing at her before going back to Brandy. Once Paige was completely up the stairs, he began to advance towards Brandy, his eyes beginning to glow a dark red.  
  
Brandy continues to sit, oblivious, sipping her coffee. She suddenly felt a distortion in the aura waves around her, and her body tensed at the evil that filled the room. "Behind you," she heard herself mutter, but she did not move.  
  
"Don't even want to see your killer?" Zaleir said on a growl, his hands clenching into fists.  
  
Brandy closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths, willing the one power she had yet to master to kick in to play. Around her she could now feel exactly where the demon was, and what he was capable of. She shivered and stood, still keeping her back to him.  
  
"You will die now," Zaleir told her, advancing slowly.  
  
"No," Brandy replied, dashing suddenly as a fireball whizzed by her head. She rushed into the livingroom and screamed up the stairs for Paige to come.  
  
"No need to call her, she will be too late!" Zaleir exclaimed, trying to pitch another fireball at the girl before him.  
  
Brandy concentrated and waved her hand to the side, accessing Prue's power to deflect the ball and send it back towards Zaleir. The demon easily dodged it, laughing. He looked up to see Paige making her way down the stairs, then used his powers to grab her from the stairs and send her flying across the room and into the wall.  
  
"Bastard!" Brandy exclaimed, narrowing her eyes to send him flying back as well. He slammed into the china cabinet, shattering the dishes.  
  
"You have no idea of your powers, Protector," Zaleir managed to say as he pulled himself up. "I see now that I will fail, but you, you will fail as well. Your lack of knowledge will be your undoing!"  
  
"Oh shut up," Brandy grumbled, waving her arm again. When she did, a knife from the kitchen rose and flew into Zaleir's chest, vanquishing him painfully.  
  
"What the hell was that all about?" Paige asked, groaning as she pulled herself up. There was a visible dent in the wall where she had hit.  
  
"I have no idea," Brandy said as she ran over to Paige, looking her over for any major injuries. "Whoever he was, he knew that I'm The Protector. If he knew, then every other demon is sure to know."  
  
"We better call Phoebe and Piper," Paige told her, cracking her neck.  
  
"I'm on it," Brandy replied, leading her to the couch. "You rest, I'll make the phone calls."  
  
After Brandy had Paige all settled down, she ran back over to the phone and grabbed it up. She ran through the speedial numbers and found Piper's cell phone, then hit talk. As she waited for Piper to pick up, she sat down beside Paige. She wasn't convinced that she wasn't hurt worse than she was admitting.  
  
"Hello?" Piper answered.  
  
"Piper, it's Brandy. We've got just the slightest problem here."  
  
"What kind of a problem?" Piper asked, dreading the answer.  
  
"A demon just broke into the manor and tried to kill me. Slammed Paige against the wall too, but I vanquished him before he could do any more damage. If I'm right, I don't think he's going to be the only one. He knew I'm The Protector, Piper."  
  
"Damnit," Piper cursed. "Okay, just stay there, call Leo and see if he can find out something from the Elders. I'm going to call Phoebe and have her meet us back at the manor. Did you happen to catch the demons name?"  
  
"I was a bit too busy trying to keep him from killing me and Paige," Brandy told her.  
  
Piper just sighed and nodded, though she knew Brandy couldn't see it over the phone. She then said, "Alright, I'm on my way."  
  
Brandy hung up the phone, then looked over at Paige. She'd never called a whitelighter before, so she didn't know exactly what to do. Finally she shrugged, looked up at the ceiling, and shouted, "Leo! Hey, Leo!"  
  
Familiar blue lights filled the room, and there stood Leo. He had a concerned look on his face, the concern deepening when he saw the mess in the room. It was obvious there had been a fight, and it was also obvious that Paige was hurt.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, walking over to kneel beside Paige.  
  
"I'm fine," Paige muttered, pushing his hands away.  
  
"We were attacked by a demon, or rather, I was attacked. He was here to kill me, and he knew I'm The Protector," Brandy told Leo.  
  
"Have you told Piper and Phoebe?" he asked, trying to get Paige to sit still long enough for him to heal her.  
  
"I called Piper, and she told me I should talk to you, that maybe you could get some information from the Elders."  
  
Leo smiled lightly, then said, "Why don't you ask them, Brandy?"  
  
Brandy raised her eyebrow at his comment as she asked, "Me? How exactly do you expect me to do that?"  
  
"As The Protector, you have the power to translocate. It's like orbing, but it's more powerful. For me to orb someone else, I'd have to have physical contact. You could just connect to them astrally and take them with you. You also have full access to," he gestured with his hand, "up there."  
  
"How exactly do I access this power?" Brandy asked, baffled that she actually had this ability and never knew it.  
  
"The same way you use your aura perception. Just take it to a higher level, and imagine yourself where you want to be."  
  
"Right," Brandy muttered, sighing before taking a deep breath. She let her eyes drift closed, and she expanded her mind out to feel the auras around her. She concentrated a bit more, taking it to a 'higher level' as Leo had suggested. Finally she focused on where she wanted to go; to the Elders.  
  
A warm, pleasant buzz shot through Brandy's body, and before she knew it she was enveloped in a white light. The light dissipated and she was no longer in the Halliwell manor. Paige looked around for a moment, a perplexed look on her face. She looked back over to Leo with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"That was interesting," she said.  
  
Several long minutes passed after Brandy left, and Paige finally decided to let Leo check over her. She still wasn't back when he was done, nor was she back by he time Piper and Phoebe made their way back to the manor. It wasn't until several minutes after they arrived that she returned.  
  
"Well it's about damn time!" Piper exclaimed. "What took you so long?"  
  
Brandy smiled then said, "I got a guided tour, it's pretty nice up there!"  
  
"Yeah, and what about the demon? Did you even think to ask them about that while you were gallivanting around up there?"  
  
Brandy rolled her eyes and flopped back on the couch next to Phoebe and Paige. She looked up at Piper and Leo and said, "I asked, but they didn't exactly have the answers I was hoping they'd give me. They gave me the whole 'you're The Protector, figure it out for yourself' speal."  
  
Leo nodded and looked over to Piper to say, "I told you, I don't make it up. They never have answers for me either."  
  
Piper rolled her eyes and asked, "What now? We have no idea what they could be planning right now. As powerful as the four of us are, we can't exactly take on every frickin' demon out there all at once."  
  
"Piper's right, we have to have some sort of a battle plan," Phoebe agreed.  
  
"There's no way to plan for something when we have no idea what we're up against," Brandy told them, leaning back. "We just have to make sure that we're prepared at all times."  
  
"And you should never be alone, not when you're likely to be attacked at any time," Piper replied.  
  
"No, don't worry about me. I'm supposed to be protecting you, not vice versa."  
  
"Brandy's right," Leo said. "It's her job to make sure nothing happens to you. Technically, once her powers are fully developed, nothing should be able to kill her. Legend says The Protector is meant to be an immortal, but only if she trains to become one."  
  
"We can't just go by a legend, and we can't just expect her to face every demon that comes our way on her own," Piper replied.  
  
"I'm not saying that, but what I am saying is that Brandy should begin training as soon as possible to strengthen her powers. The best way to do that would be to contact the Elders, and let them train her personally," Leo suggested.  
  
"Immortal?" Brandy asked out of nowhere, as if that was the only part of the conversation she had heard.  
  
Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, you'd be like a whitelighter, but with greater powers. And you'd be living, of course."  
  
"Okay, so let's say she does go and train with the Elders, what happens to us while she's gone? If the demons can't find her, I'm sure they'd settle for one of us," Phoebe asked.  
  
Brandy sighed and said, "In that case, I'm not going anywhere. I'm sure if I meditate and train on my own I'll be able to get stronger. As for demon attacks, I'll just have to be careful."  
  
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Piper asked, concerned. "You're not immortal yet, you could seriously get hurt."  
  
"It's a risk I'm going to have to take," Brandy replied, her eyes locking on Piper's.  
  
Piper sighed and closed her eyes, then nodded her agreement even though she was worried. Despite the fact the relationship wasn't developed, the first date had not been had, proper time for love feelings had not passed, there was still a deep connection. Piper knew deep in her heart that she couldn't lose Brandy. This thing, this relationship, it was meant to happen.  
  
"I know I'm not exactly the Elders," Leo began, "but I can help you meditate and focus on expanding your powers. I can't show you everything, most you'll have to learn on your own, but I can show you the basics."  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me," Brandy replied, smiling faintly.  
  
"In the meantime, the rest of us need to check the Book of Shadows and see if we can find anything that would be helpful," Phoebe said, motioning to herself and her sisters.  
  
"Book of Shadows," Brandy said softly, having never seen it.  
  
"The official one, not some dollar store rip off," Phoebe said with a grin.  
  
Piper and Paige nodded, then stood along with Phoebe. Piper turned to Brandy as they were leaving the room and said, "So much for tonight."  
  
Brandy sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked up at Leo. Her eyes were a bit distant and unfocused for a few seconds, but were back to normal so fast Leo almost had to wonder if he really saw it or not. She ran a hand through her hair, then tilted her head to the side.  
  
"Where do we start, oh master?" she asked.  
  
"We need to start by going to a quiet place to practice, where there wont be any distractions. Meet me in the basement." With that, Leo orbed out of the room.  
  
"Two can play that game," Brandy muttered, before translocating out of the room as well.  
  
Once upstairs in the attic, Piper quickly made her way to the Book of Shadows. She pulled it open and began flipping through page by page, furiously looking for anything and everything that may be helpful for Brandy. Her sisters watched over her shoulder and tried to keep up with the speed of the turning pages.  
  
"Piper, would you take it easy? How can you even tell what you're reading when you go that fast?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I know what I'm doing," Piper muttered, shuffling through the Book of Shadows for a second time.  
  
"If you say so," Paige muttered in return, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Nothing!" Piper exclaimed, slamming the book shut. She sighed and sat down in the chair nearest to her, then sighed.  
  
"Well, you flipped through the damn thing so fast I'm surprised you could read anything," Phoebe told her.  
  
"Oh shut up," Piper grumbled, putting her face into her hands.  
  
"Look, everything is going to be alright. I'm sure if Brandy trains, she'll be fine. Nothing is going to happen to her or us."  
  
"I hope you're right Pheebs, I really do."  
  
A loud crash from downstairs kept Phoebe from answering, and she and Paige were left to run to catch up with Piper who was already halfway down the stairs. Once down the stairs they were greeted by a fireball, which missed them by mere inches.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Piper exclaimed, looking around for the source of the fire.  
  
"I told you not to do that," they heard Leo say as he and Brandy ran into the room.  
  
"How was I supposed to know it was going to fling a fire ball at me? All you said I to do was concentrate!" Brandy called back.  
  
"Care to explain why there are now two holes in the wall instead of one?" Piper asked.  
  
"Ask Leo, he's the one who neglected to mention I'd be dodging fire."  
  
"You should have sensed it coming, and you sure as hell shouldn't have deflected it without looking," Leo interjected.  
  
"I sensed it coming, which is why my eyes were closed!"  
  
"Hey!" Piper exclaimed. "Let's all just calm down, here."  
  
"Boy do we have a habit of trashing this house," Phoebe muttered, trying not to trip over debri.  
  
"Maybe you guys should be more careful," Paige added, sighing.  
  
"Wouldn't have happened if he had warned me," Brandy muttered.  
  
"Then what would have been the point?" Leo asked, frowning.  
  
"Alright already," Piper said with a frustrated pout, taking Brandy by the arm.  
  
Once in the kitchen, Piper let go of Brandy's arm and sat down. She still looked rather upset, her eyes cast down to the floor. It wasn't until Brandy knelt down in front of her that she dared to make eye contact.  
  
"What's wrong?" Brandy asked softly.  
  
"I'm just worried," Piper replied in the same tone.  
  
"If it's me you're worried about, don't be. Leo just took me by surprise, I wasn't prepared. It won't happen again, because I'm going to work extra hard so I can keep you safe."  
  
Piper smiled and said, "I know, I just don't want anything bad to happen. So much has happened lately, I don't know how much more I can take."  
  
"Feel that strongly about me already?" Brandy joked.  
  
"Yes," Piper replied honestly. "I do. I feel a strong connection to you, like I've known you my whole life."  
  
"I feel it too, Piper. I was afraid to admit it because, let's face it, we've only known each other for a two days. But," she took Piper's hands into her own, "I know what I feel."  
  
Piper smiled fully, and squeezed brandy's hands to reassure her. If they both felt as strongly as they did it couldn't be wrong. The Elders chose her for a reason, and maybe this was it.  
  
"I'm glad we found you," Piper said, gazing into Brandy's eyes.  
  
"Me too," Brandy replied, before the two women leaned in and met in a soft kiss.  
  
About that time, Leo was summoned by another one of his charges, and exited the living room of the manor. Paige and Phoebe turned to make their way into the kitchen to see what Brandy and Piper were doing, both stopping short upon the sight before them.  
  
"Ooo!" Phoebe exclaimed from the doorway, catching the two in the act.  
  
Brandy pulled back from Piper, blushing furiously. Piper buried her face into Brandy's shoulder, trying to hide her embarrassment.  
  
"Ugh, get a room," Paige said from behind Phoebe.  
  
"We have one, thank you very much," Piper mumbled into Brandy's shirt.  
  
"And you, missy," Phoebe said, mock angry, to Brandy, "need to get back to training. Leo's gone, but he said you should take some time and meditate. Try not to break anything else, huh?"  
  
"Bite me," Brandy replied, nuzzling a kiss into Piper's neck before standing.  
  
"Save me from the horror!" Paige exclaimed, moving to walk past them and get something to drink.  
  
"Better get back to work," Brandy said, casting one last look at Piper.  
  
"Be careful," Piper told her.  
  
"I will."  
  
The rest of the day was surprisingly quiet, only a few crashes coming from the basement every now and then. No more demon attacks, no more startling discoveries. It was almost a normal afternoon; as normal as one could be within their lives.  
  
Evening came, and Brandy emerged from the basement. She was out of breath and tired, her eyes half closed with exhaustion. A few trickles of sweat made their was down her neck, causing her to shiver as she slowly made her way up towards her room.  
  
"Hey you," Piper said with a smile when she saw Brandy enter.  
  
"Hey yourself," Brandy replied, flopping down next to Piper on the bed.  
  
"Eww, sweaty," Piper said with a giggle, pushing Brandy away.  
  
Brandy pouted and said, "You don't love me anymore."  
  
Piper just laughed softly and replied, "How did your training go? You look tired."  
  
"It went well, but it's hard work. Although I'm mostly working my mental skills, it still wears me down."  
  
"Did you learn anything new?"  
  
"Leo's got me working on a mental shield to help protect me or someone else from demon attacks. Hence the new hole in the wall downstairs," Brandy said with a grin.  
  
"Don't worry about that, Paige already fixed it."  
  
"Good. Now I'm going to take a shower so I smell decent, then maybe we can salvage part of our date. You up for a sappy love movie?"  
  
"Always! And I know the perfect one," Piper replied, jumping up to go pick it out.  
  
"Sleepless In Seattle!" both girls exclaimed, Brandy running off to take a shower.  
  
For the rest of the night the girls watched their movie, talked, and tried to keep their minds off of the problems at hand. They both seemed to enjoy the night, and fell asleep on the couch in each others arms.  
  
~*~  
End part four  
~*~ 


	5. Chapter Five

~*~  
Disclaimer, etc. in part one  
~*~  
Authors notes: A big thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I hope you all like where this story is going.  
  
Book One - Revelations (5/?)  
by: Brandy Leigh  
  
~*~  
  
Morning number three in the week of The Protector. Brandy and Piper had stayed asleep on the couch all night, the TV playing snow in the background where the movie had finished long ago. Piper was snuggled up in Brandy's arms, and Brandy held her close, both looking content in their position.  
  
"Aww, look at them," Phoebe said quietly, pointing to the two as she and Paige made their way into the living room.  
  
"Yes, they're so cure it's repulsing," Paige replied, moving through to go into the kitchen. "Might want to wake them, it's getting late."  
  
"Good idea," Phoebe said as she leaned over the two. "Time to wake up! Come on you two, wakey-wakey."  
  
Piper groaned and rolled away from Brandy, nearly falling onto the floor. She caught onto Brandy at the last second, trying to keep herself on the couch. Instead, both girls ended up on the floor, a tangle of arms and legs.  
  
"Oh great!" Brandy exclaimed, trying to sit up. "I'm on the floor again!"  
  
Piper stifled a laugh as she helped her sit up, then said, "Don't blame me, it was Phoebe's fault this time!"  
  
"Oh no you don't, you're not blaming this on me," Phoebe told her, giggling. "Paige told me to wake you guys up."  
  
"Did not!" Paige called from the kitchen.  
  
"Did too, you liar!" Phoebe called back.  
  
"Who cares, we're up and awake now," Brandy muttered, standing then helping to pull Piper up.  
  
"Coffee-coffee-coffee," Piper chanted, dashing past her for the kitchen.  
  
"And I thought I was the only one in this house besides Paige who needed coffee to survive," Brandy said with a sleepy smile.  
  
"No, we all need it, we're just usually though about six cups by the time you get up," Phoebe told her as they followed Piper.  
  
"Which is probably why there's hardly any left every time I go to get some!" Paige complained.  
  
"Probably," Piper said as she blew on her coffee. She then took a sip and sighed contentedly, her eyes fluttering closed.  
  
Coffee was drank, breakfast was eaten, and those who had to go to work did. Piper and Brandy were left at home; Piper reading a book silently, while Brandy and Leo continued on from yesterday in the basement.  
  
"Close your eyes," Leo commanded, and Brandy complied. "Expand your awareness, just as always. No fireballs today, just you and your surroundings."  
  
"Thank God," Brandy said on a sigh.  
  
"Quiet," Leo snapped. "You have to concentrate. Feel the room around you, the auras of every object. Now, we're going to try a feeling exercise. I'm holding something in my hands," he said as he picked up a lamp, "tell me what it is."  
  
"Easy," Brandy replied, extending her aura to feel his hands and what was in them. "Ha, it's a lamp."  
  
"What color is it?"  
  
"How am I supposed to know, I can't see it."  
  
"That's the whole point, Brandy. Don't look with your eyes, or feel it with your aura. See it in your mind, concentrate."  
  
Brandy took a deep breath, then let it out and let herself only concentrate on the lamp in Leo's hands. She opened her mind to the image of it, but only saw a black blur.  
  
"I can't see it," she muttered.  
  
"Yes you can," Leo told her. "Relax."  
  
"Fine," Brandy replied, delving deeper into her mind. She had the image of the lamp, but it was distant and dark. She began to zoom in on it by focusing as much as possible, the image changing as if she was walking closer. She finally smiled, eyes still closed, and said, "Blue."  
  
"Exactly," he replied, then tossed it up into the air.  
  
"Leo!" Brandy exclaimed, reaching out to catch it before opening her eyes. "What did you do that for?!"  
  
"So you would catch it," Leo said, then smiled at the look on her face. "Good job."  
  
Brandy smiled in return and sat the lamp down, then asked, "Okay, what next?"  
  
"We expand on it," Leo said with a mischievous grin.  
  
Several hours later, Brandy translocated up into the livingroom where Piper still sat reading her book. She grinned and snuck up behind her, then transed again so that she was sitting right next to her. As planned, Piper shrieked in surprise.  
  
"That was not nice," Piper said, smacking Brandy on the arm.  
  
"No, but it was fun," Brandy replied with a grin.  
  
Piper shook her head and sighed, then asked, "Break anything today?"  
  
"No, I was a good girl. I did scare the crap out of Leo a few times, though."  
  
Grinning, Piper asked, "How much more training do you need?"  
  
"A lot," Brandy said with a frown. "And unfortunately there's not much more Leo can show me."  
  
"What are you going to do once he can't help you anymore?"  
  
"I guess I'll pray that the rest come naturally," she said, then paused. "So, I'm done early, and you don't have to go to P3 for several hours. Sounds like the perfect time to go get something to eat."  
  
"A make up date?" Piper asked.  
  
"Nah, last night counts. This would be our, dun dun dun, second date!"  
  
"The horror!" Piper exclaimed, laughing.  
  
And so the two headed off for their meal, leaving a note to explain where they were and when they expected to be back. Phoebe was the first one home, and thus the first to read it. She smiled to herself as she read, then placed it back and turned to fix herself a sandwich.  
  
Behind Phoebe, heavy breathing could faintly be heard from across the room. Phoebe noticed, and froze with a piece of cheese in her hand. She suddenly spun and chucked the cheese, for lack of a better option, and began to laugh hysterically when she saw what she had done.  
  
There stood Cole, perfect business attire, cheese now stuck in his hair. He calmly reached up and removed it, glanced at it for a second, then placed it down on the counter.  
  
"No thanks, I'm not hungry," he said with a wry smile.  
  
"I'm sorry Cole, I didn't know it was you," Phoebe apologized, still laughing.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you fired the situation so amusing, Phoebe. Unfortunately though, I came here for a more serious reason."  
  
"If it's about Brandy, I don't want to talk about it," Phoebe told him, looking away.  
  
"I came here because of a rumor I've heard, and I feel it would be in your best interest to know," Cole said, lying.  
  
"A rumor? About?"  
  
"From what I hear, you've got a few problems soon to come your way. They're planning something, but I don't know what."  
  
"How did you find out about this?" Phoebe asked, her eyes narrowed at him.  
  
"I have my ways," Cole said, before crossing his arms over his chest. "Just be careful, Phoebe. I don't want anything to happen to you." With that, he disappeared.  
  
Phoebe sighed as he left, and she let her head hang. As much as she tried to be mad at him and not care, she knew she'd never stop loving him. They were meant to be together, and they had already worked through so much. Something like this hurt, but true love conquers all. She knew if they loved each other enough, and tried, they would succeed.  
  
"I'm home!" Paige exclaimed as she came in the front door, and shuffled into the kitchen. Seeing the look on Phoebe's face she asked, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Cole was just here," Phoebe replied. "He warned me there were demons plotting against us, and he told me to be careful."  
  
"Oh," Paige replied, obviously not too keen on the Cole subject.  
  
Phoebe shrugged and said, "Don't worry about it. We already knew we were targets; he didn't tell me anything I didn't already know."  
  
"Right," Paige muttered, plopping her briefcase down. "Where are Brandy and Piper?"  
  
"They went out to eat," Phoebe answered, waving idly at the note they left.  
  
"Don't those two just make you sick?" Paige asked, scrunching up her nose.  
  
"They're cute together, in my opinion."  
  
"Then your opinion is seriously twisted, Pheebs."  
  
Phoebe smiled lightly and shook her head. She then said, "You're just jealous!" Before Paige could answer she ducked out of the room, giggling at the look on her sister's face.  
  
"Bitch!" Paige called back playfully, before heading out of the kitchen and up towards her room.  
  
"And just where do you think you are going?" she heard from behind her; the last thing she heard before everything went black.  
  
Phoebe was oblivious to her sister's disappearance, until some time later when she headed upstairs to ask her something. After searching the house and finding no Paige or note, she became worried. It was then she called and informed Piper and Brandy, and decided to call Leo.  
  
"Leo!" she shouted, as soon as she hung up with Piper.  
  
Leo orbed into the room almost immediately, Brandy and Piper transing in mere seconds after. All three looked worried and concerned, but Piper was the first to speak.  
  
"Are you absolutely sure there was no note?" she asked.  
  
"Positive. Paige is gone, and I think she was taken against her will," Phoebe replied.  
  
"Any signs of struggle?" Brandy asked, looking around.  
  
"None, not even the slightest clue as to what happened to her."  
  
They all looked to Leo, who was already concentrating on finding her. After a few moments of silence, he opened his eyes and said, "I can't feel her."  
  
"Then she has to be in the underworld," Piper said with a sigh. "Damnit."  
  
"Then we go down there and get her back," Brandy said, shrugging.  
  
"That's probably not the best idea," Leo said. "Not when everyone down there is out to kill you."  
  
"We have to get her back," Phoebe said, panicking. "If something happens to her, it'll be my fault."  
  
"I'll go," Brandy said before anyone else could speak. "I trans in, find Paige, trans out. If there's any trouble, I should be able to get us out before anyone could harm us."  
  
"It's our only option," Leo regretfully agreed. "It would be too hard for any of the rest of us to go, even me."  
  
"No, I don't like this idea. There has to be another way," Piper said, frowning.  
  
"I have to do this, Piper. If I don't, something terrible could happen to her," Brandy told her.  
  
"If you do, something horrible could happen to you."  
  
"Do you trust me?"  
  
"What?" Piper asked, wondering where that came from.  
  
"Do you trust me?" Brandy repeated.  
  
Piper hesitated, then replied, "Yes."  
  
"Then trust me when I say I will come back in one piece, and Paige and I will both be safe."  
  
Piper nodded slowly and sighed, then said, "As long as you promise."  
  
"I promise," Brandy replied, taking Piper's hands in hers.  
  
"Okay, then it's settled," Phoebe said on a sigh. "Be careful, Brandy."  
  
Brandy grabbed Phoebe and Piper close and hugged them playfully, then patted Leo on the head. She took a few steps back and smiled at Piper before transing out of the room.  
  
"Good luck," Piper whispered, hoping everything would be alright.  
  
Down within the underworld, Paige was being held in a small cage. Her wrists were cuffed together, and she did her best to keep from touching the electric bars around her. She had already made the mistake of touching them once, which was evident by the burn mark and blood on her arm.  
  
"What do you want from me?" Paige yelled out.  
  
She was greeted by laughter, the faction leaders who were designated to guard her finding her pleas amusing. None of them answered her, they merely stared at her, chuckling occasionally.  
  
"Bastards," Paige muttered, looking around.  
  
"Bastards, huh?" a man's voice called from the shadows, a very familiar voice.  
  
"Cole," Paige growled through clenched teeth.  
  
"Aww, you got me," Cole replied, stepping out from the shadows. "You spoiled all my fun, Paige."  
  
"I knew you were still evil, but no one believed me."  
  
"Mm, and no one else will find out," Cole told her.  
  
"When my sisters come to save me, they'll figure it out," she replied.  
  
"I'll kill them before you get the chance," Cole said, his eyes flaming over.  
  
Paige gasped and exclaimed, "My God, you're the Source."  
  
Cole grinned and said, "So, you're not as stupid as you look."  
  
"Phoebe," Paige said softly. "What about her? Are you going to kill her, too? You don't even love her anymore, do you? Can you even feel--"  
  
"QUIET!" Cole bellowed angrily. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner. You are in no position to ask me anything!"  
  
"I should have known you were the Source," Paige murmured. "Why didn't they believe me?"  
  
"Because I'm so charming and convincing," Cole replied with a smirk. "Now, as for you, I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do with you. Well, I know I'm going to kill you, but how? Hmm."  
  
"Kill me if you want, but it won't do you any good."  
  
"On the contrary, I'd be eliminating the power of three. Oh wait, you have a Protector! I guess I'll just have to start searching for a worthy Destroyer, won't I?"  
  
"Destroyer?" Paige asked.  
  
"Oh yes," Cole replied. "The Yang to your Yin. The perfect opposite of The Protector. Ever if she were to reach immortality, The Destroyer is the one being that could kill her."  
  
"Oh my God, I have to warn them."  
  
Cole laughed, knowing she had no way to escape. The cage was protected by evil, preventing her from orbing or using magick to get free. He took a step towards her, and rested his arm against the bars, seeing as he was immune to them.  
  
"You have no way to contact them, Paige. Face it, it's over," he said with a sneer.  
  
Paige slowly knelt down and sat in the center of the cage, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She lowered her head to avoid Cole's eyes, and prayed her sisters and Brandy would be alright.  
  
Off in the shadows, where Cole once stood, Brandy crouched down and tried to stay hidden. She narrowed her eyes in resentment as she listened to her ex-fiancé speak, unbelieving that she almost married the monster. She paused for a moment to wonder if he was working for evil when they were together, but quickly shook the thought away to get her mind back on task.  
  
"Why hasn't she orbed out of that cage?" Brandy asked herself quietly. "Something must be wrong. Maybe if I tried to trans it out of here..."  
  
She concentrated as hard as she could, but neither the cage nor Paige went anywhere. She relaxed and focused again, but nothing happened. She leaned back against the wall and whipped the accumulating sweat from her forehead, then repositioned herself back into a crouch.  
  
"Damnit, it's protected by something I can't bypass."  
  
Brandy suddenly froze and held her breath when Cole turned from Paige and began to walk by her. Her eyes followed him closely, her fists clenched with rage. She finally allowed herself to breath again once he was out of sight, then began to assess the situation.  
  
'Two demons on guard,' Brandy thought to herself, remaining quiet incase Cole was still near. 'Paige obviously can't orb out, I can't trans her or the cage, yet maybe I can trans in. But how?'  
  
"I won't," she muttered under her breath, a plan formulating in her head.  
  
Brandy stood up from her hiding spot and took a step forward, shouting, "Hey boys!" When she did, the guards and Paige looked up to see what was going on. She took advantage of the moment of shock to trans over to the cage.  
  
"Don't touch it!" Paige shouted.  
  
"No intentions," Brandy told her, yet before she could explain her plan, the demons began to attack her.  
  
First one, then two fireballs were hurled at Brandy, and she barely had time to react. She jumped to the side and swung her arm to deflect them. One demon took them both in his chest and exploded, yet the other merely grinned and sent another her way.  
  
The fireball hit her in the side and sent her flying back into the cage. Sparks flew forth from the bars as Brandy yelled out and fell forward, blood exploding from the wounds that now covered her side and back.  
  
"BRANDY!" Paige exclaimed. "Oh God..."  
  
Brandy lay still on the cold, stone floor, eyes closed, blood flowing freely. She wasn't moving even the slightest bit, and it didn't look to Paige as if she was breathing.  
  
The remaining demon walked over and knelt down next to Brandy, reaching his hand down to check for a pulse. As he neared her, she suddenly kicked out with her legs, tripping him and causing him to fall on top of her.  
  
Brandy yelled out in pain from the force of his weight on her wounds, but managed to shove him off. She groaned and crawled over to the cage, then took a deep breath before grabbing onto the bars. She used the last of her energy to force her aura past the evil protection and trans herself, the cage and Paige out of the underworld.  
  
The white light filled the livingroom of the manor, and Piper, Phoebe and Leo jumped back as the cage materialized. Their eyes widened when they saw Paige within, and Piper gasped loudly when Brandy collapsed to the floor unconscious. She immediately fell down beside her, praying to God that she wasn't dead.  
  
"Is she...?" Paige asked, fearing the worse.  
  
"She's not breathing!" Piper exclaimed. "Leo!"  
  
Leo ran over and knelt down beside Brandy, holding his hands over her wounded form. To Piper's relief, the familiar gold glow emitted from them, and the spilt blood began to retract back into Brandy's body. The wounds closed and healed over, while everyone held their breath.  
  
Brandy gasped and sat up suddenly, coughing at the sudden rush of air to her lungs. Piper murmured soothing words as she tried to get her to calm down, all the while slipping her arms around her. Brandy pulled back and coughed once more, then looked up at Piper with a lopsided grin.  
  
"Told you, piece of cake," she joked.  
  
"You scared the pure shit out of me," Piper murmured, drawing soft circles on Brandy's arm.  
  
"I'm fine," Brandy said softly, placing her hands over Piper's. "I told you everything would be just fine."  
  
"You could have died, Brandy."  
  
"But I didn't, did I?"  
  
"Guys, I hate to break this up, but we have a bit of a problem here," Paige said, gesturing to the cage she was still trapped in.  
  
"There has to be some way to get her out of there," Phoebe said, reaching for the bars.  
  
"No!" Brandy and Paige yelled at the same time.  
  
Phoebe jumped back and bumped into Leo, who was now standing behind her. She looked back and forth between the two, then said, "Hey, no problem. Didn't have to scream at me."  
  
"Just didn't want you to go through what I did," Brandy told her, motioning towards her side and back.  
  
"It's guarded?" Piper asked softly.  
  
Brandy nodded and replied, "By a very strong evil. It took everything I had to get past it just to trans it out of there."  
  
"Which reminds me," Paige began, but stopped upon seeing the look on Brandy's face.  
  
"Later," Brandy said quietly, glancing at Phoebe, then back to Paige. "We'll handle it once we get you out of there."  
  
Paige nodded, then sighed and said, "Someone check with the Elders, and someone check the book. There's got to be a way to get me out of here."  
  
"I'll check with the Elders," Brandy said, but Piper placed her hand on her arm.  
  
"No, you stay here, Leo can go. Phoebe, you stay with Paige, Brandy and I will check the Book of Shadows," she told them.  
  
"Okay," Brandy replied, raising her eyebrow at Piper.  
  
Everyone did as told, Piper dragging Brandy up the stairs as Leo left to go talk to the Elders. Phoebe stayed with Paige, trying her best to get information out of her about what she and Brandy knew but weren't sharing. Paige did her best not to let her know what was going on, honoring Brandy's wish to wait.  
  
Once upstairs, Piper closed the attic door, then turned to look at Brandy. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow, not moving to check the book. Brandy stopped and gave Piper the same look, wondering what her problem was.  
  
"Before I bitch at you for nearly getting yourself killed, I want to know what it is you and Paige know. It must be something big if you want to hide it until later, and I have a feeling it has something to do with Phoebe. What's going on?" Piper asked.  
  
Brandy sighed and leaned against the wall, keeping her arms crossed. She locked eyes with Piper and nodded to let her know she would tell her, then began to explain.  
  
"Paige and I discovered something when we were in the underworld; something about Cole."  
  
"About Cole? What exactly are you saying, Brandy?"  
  
"Piper, Cole is the Source."  
  
Piper stared at Brandy as if she had grown another head, jaw dropped. She was completely stunned, not moving or saying a word for several minutes. She finally blinked and shook her head to clear it, then shifted her weight and asked in a soft whisper, "Cole is the Source?"  
  
"Yes," Brandy replied, lowering her head to look at the floor. "I couldn't believe it at first, but there's no doubting it. He said it himself, and he's plotting against me."  
  
"What do you think we should do about it?" Piper asked, her voice still low.  
  
"If it were up to me, I'd vanquish Cole in a second. Yet, for Phoebe's sake, I'm going to try my damnedest to avoid him and maybe, just maybe, find a way to bring him back to our side. Piper, I think this should stay between you, me and Paige. If Phoebe found out, she'd be crushed."  
  
"I agree," Piper said, moving to make her way to the Book of Shadows. "We'll only tell her if it's absolutely necessary."  
  
Brandy nodded and pushed away from the wall, then followed her over to the book. She took one of Piper's hands into her own, and began to turn the pages with her other. As she was searching the pages for anything helpful, she nudged Piper with their joined hands. When Piper looked up at her she forced a small smile.  
  
"So, you were going to bitch at me for almost dying?" Brandy asked.  
  
"Yes," Piper replied, before taking a deep breath. "I could have lost you today, before we had the chance to see what we could be. You and I both agree that there's something more to this then how we feel, something more like fate. If that's true, then I don't want to blow this. I know I could love you, and I think I already do. Don't ever scare me like that again, Brandy. You took a risk you didn't have to take."  
  
Brandy stopped turning the pages of the Book of Shadows, the hand she was using to do so moving to slip around Piper's waist. She smiled and brought their joined hands up to her lips, dropping a soft kiss to Piper's knuckles. She then leaned down and kissed her softly, yet passionately, pulling back to stroke her cheek.  
  
"I don't have to wonder if I already love you Piper, I know I do. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and I'd die for you even if it wasn't my destiny to do so. I know what I did today was stupid and a very big risk, but I had to save Paige. She's your sister, and you love her. Whatever is important to you, is important to me."  
  
Piper smiled softly and uttered a quiet, "Thank you." She then nodded to the Book of Shadows and said, "We should hurry up and look before they start to think something is wrong."  
  
Brandy nodded and turned to began flipping through it's pages again, but froze in mid turn. She dropped the hand that was still holding Piper's, then cast a sideways glance at her. She then turned towards the shadows in the corner and narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"You can't have her," she told the air.  
  
"Who are you talking to?" Piper asked, following her line of vision to see nothing.  
  
As both women watched, Cole seemingly formed in the shadows and stepped forward. He had a wicked grin on his face, one of a man who was too arrogant for his own good. He moved towards Brandy until the two stood nose to nose, then cast a glance to Piper and said, "Boo."  
  
"You've got some nerve to come here, Cole. Phoebe is downstairs with, should I call her up here and let her know what you're up to?" Brandy told him, drawing his attention back to her.  
  
"No need," Cole told her, his hand snapping up to grab her by the throat. He swung her across the room and through the attic door, the force with which he threw her enough to send her barreling down the stairs.  
  
"NO!" Piper shouted, moving to go see if she was alright. Yet Cole blocked her path, stopping her from exiting the attic.  
  
"You four are becoming more of a problem than I anticipated," he told her, eyes turning dark. "I'm through playing around."  
  
Piper swallowed a lump in her throat, her eyes darting to the attic door, hoping Brandy would surprise them both and burst into the room to kick Cole's ass. She caught sight of Phoebe making her way up the stairs instead, then looked back up at Cole with disgust.  
  
"Your girlfriend's here," she muttered, raising her hands to freeze him before he could do or say anything more.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Phoebe asked, out of breath, as she ran into the room. Her eyes lifted to the frozen Cole, and she frowned in confusion.  
  
"Phoebe, we have a problem," Piper told her softly, then motioned to Cole. "Cole... he's the Source. I know it's hard for you to take, but it's true. He's the one who trapped Page in that cage, and he's also the one who threw Brandy down the stairs."  
  
"Go to her," Phoebe murmured, moving around to stand in front of Cole. "Leo is healing her again, she should be fine."  
  
Piper nodded and moved past her to exit the room, casting one last glance back at Phoebe and Cole before descending down the stairs. Once in the living room she walked over to the couch where Brandy was sitting, settling herself down next to her.  
  
Brandy looked up at her with concern and asked, "Where's Cole, and Phoebe?"  
  
"I froze Cole; Phoebe is in the attic waiting to talk to him," Piper replied.  
  
"Are you sure it's such a good idea to leave him alone with her after everything he's done?" Leo asked.  
  
"She'll call us if she needs help," Piper told him, looking away. "But, I don't think Cole would ever hurt her. Not even now."  
  
"Yet he has no problem locking me in a cage or trying to murder Brandy," Paige grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Let it go!" Piper exclaimed, but it was obvious she was just as upset and worried as everyone else.  
  
Brandy sighed and pulled Piper to her, wrapping her arms around her and kissing the top of her head. Piper rested against her and closed her eyes, trying to relax despite the current situation. Everyone else sat and glanced around at each other, the tension in the room enough to suffocate.  
  
Upstairs, the tension was twice as thick. Phoebe stood with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for Cole to unfreeze. Once he did, her eyes locked onto his, the fury within them giving a new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill.' Cole raised a confused eyebrow, then glanced around for Piper.  
  
"She froze me," he murmured, then moved to flame out.  
  
"Not to fast," Phoebe quipped, her hand snapping out to grab his arm in a death grip. "I know what you are, Cole."  
  
"So I see," Cole replied with a sigh, pulling his arm back from her. "Now is not the time to discuss this, Phoebe. I have more important matters at hand."  
  
"Now is the only time to discuss this!" Phoebe shouted. "You have lied to me, deceived me, tried to kill my friends and family. If you still believe in that twisted mind of yours that I want to be with you after everything you've done, then you have truly lost all sense of sanity. I want nothing more to do with you, Cole. Nothing."  
  
"Phoebe please," Cole begged, his eyes softening.  
  
"Get out of my house!" Phoebe screaming, slapping him harshly across the face.  
  
Cole's eyes clouded over and began to water, yet Phoebe was not convinced. For all she knew it was a façade to try and trick her, and she merely turned her back to him. He sniffed and nodded, not trying to argue or anger her further. He simply stepped back and flamed from the room, leaving Phoebe alone in the attic.  
  
"Damnit," Phoebe muttered, dropping to her knees.  
  
Cole reappeared downstairs, the flame he entered with causing everyone to jump to attention. He said not a word, he only waved his arm to make the cage within the room disappear. Once he had done that he cast his eyes over to Piper and Brandy, nodded, then left again.  
  
Everyone stood still for a moment, then looked at each other, completely confused. No one could understand why he had simply let Paige go without an argument or fight. The only thing they could imagine was something that had occurred upstairs in the attic, a discussion between he and Phoebe that was sure to have left her in tears.  
  
~*~  
End part five  
~*~ 


	6. Chapter Six

~*~  
  
Disclaimer, etc. in part one  
  
~*~  
  
Book One - Revelations (6/?)  
  
by: Brandy Leigh  
  
~*~  
  
"This is bad," Paige muttered, leaning back in her seat, letting Leo heal her arm where she injured it on the bars of the cage.  
  
"And it's only going to get worse," Brandy replied, glancing down at Piper.  
  
Piper frowned and turned to look at the steps that led upstairs and to the attic. The four of them were still in the livingroom, giving Phoebe the time she needed to pull herself together after the news she had just received as well as her talk with Cole. No one could imagine how this was affecting her, knowing that he was the one she was destined to fight and vanquish.  
  
"Should we go to her?" Paige asked, following Piper's line of vision.  
  
Piper nodded lightly, then pulled from Brandy and stood up. Paige stood up as well, and the two headed for the stairs. Piper paused for a moment before acending and looked at Brandy who was still seated. She then asked, "Coming?"  
  
"You're her sisters, she needs you, not me," Brandy replied with a faint smile.  
  
Piper forced a smile in return, then turned to continue on after Paige. The two headed for the attic, and could hear Phoebe's sobs before they even got to the door. Upon entering they dropped down beside her, wrapping their arms around her in a giant hug. Phoebe grabbed onto them and held on tight, trying to control her sobs.  
  
"I love him..." was all she could choke out as her sisters rocked her back and forth.  
  
"I know, baby," Piper murmured into her hair, rubbing her back. "Everything's going to be okay."  
  
"Not it's not, he betrayed me. I can't love him anymore, I have to... we have to... vanq..." she said between sobs, but stopped before finishing the word that she couldn't quite say.  
  
Paige and Piper exchanged a worried look, neither knowing quite what to say to their grieving sister. Exactly what do you say to someone who just discovered that the love of their life is their greatest enemy? Each had taken their turn fawning over a demon, but neither had been through a situation to such a degree.  
  
"It gets worse, I'm... pregnant," Phoebe moaned, sobbing hysterically now.  
  
"Oh God," Piper said on a sigh, closing her eyes.  
  
Paige's eyes widened, but she couldn't get any words to escape her lips. Her sister was pregnant with a half demon child, whose father was the source of all evil. She had thought her life had been a troubled one, but it was nothing compared to what this child would have to go through.  
  
There was no doubt that, even if Cole was vanquished, there would be problems from the underworld. Demons would want to kill the child, and if Cole were to somehow escape his death, he would want the child for his own to raise in evil. And who was to say the child would not be evil in the first place, taking on the demonic genes from it's father.  
  
Phoebe's child; heir to the evil throne of the underworld. Half witch, half demon; a possible warlock in the making. Could things get any worse in the life of the all powerful Charmed Ones?  
  
"What now?" Paige asked Piper softly, speaking for the first time since she entered the attic.  
  
"We talk to the Elders," Piper replied, glancing down at Phoebe. "There has to be something we can do to protect Phoebe and the baby from Cole. Brandy! Leo!"  
  
A collection of blue and white particles filled the room, Brandy and Leo appearing when they formed together. Brandy could feel the grief and sadness as soon as she entered the room, and her eyes fell upon Piper, who had been the one to call her and Leo.  
  
"One of you need to go talk to the Elders," she said, still holding Phoebe. "Ask them if there's any way we can protect Phoebe and her baby from Cole."  
  
"Baby?" Leo asked, surprised, glancing down at the grieving girl.  
  
"Yes," Piper replied, a look in her eyes that told him to save the questions for later.  
  
Leo nodded and orbed from the room, leaving Brandy behind without even asking if she wanted to go. Instead of chasing after him or complaining, she dropped down beside the three sisters, placing her hands on Phoebe. She closed her eyes and concentrated, a gold glow creeping out of her hands.  
  
Phoebe could feel a warm flow of energy through her body, and a calming buzz that began to settle her nerves. She glanced up at Brandy and gave her a small smile, her eyelids beginning to shut. She sighed contentedly and leaned back against Piper, shifting once before drifting off to sleep.  
  
"What did you do?" Paige asked as Brandy pulled back from Phoebe.  
  
"I put her into a comforting sleep filled with pleasant dreams," Brandy said softly, looking up at Piper. "I didn't even know I could, I just knew to do it now. I guess that's what being the Protector is all about."  
  
Piper nodded slightly and said, "Trans her up to her room and put her to bed. She's going to need all the rest she can get."  
  
"Sure thing," Brandy replied, as white light enveloped her and Phoebe. The two disappeared from the room, leaving Paige and Piper alone.  
  
"Could this day get any better?" Piper muttered, leaning back against the wall.  
  
"They always say things get worse before they get better," Paige replied in the same tone, scooting over to sit beside Piper.  
  
"So optimistic," Piper said, tossing her sister a look.  
  
"What do you want me to say?" Paige asked defensively. "There's really not anything optimistic to say right now, thank you very much. If the almighty Piper can think of something, then please let her fill me in."  
  
""Now is not the time for us to be at each other's throats, damnit!" Piper cursed, pulling herself up to stand.  
  
Paige bit her tongue and looked away, trying to prevent herself from saying anything worse. Piper, of course, took it the wrong way, and stormed from the attic. She made her was down into her room and slammed the door, hoping Brandy would trans into the room soon so she would have someone to rant at.  
  
To her relief, mere seconds after the thought left her head, her roommate made her appearance. Before Brandy could get in a word, Piper was letting off steam a mile a minute.  
  
"Just who does Paige think she is? First the Cole incident, then the Phoebe-is-pregnant incident, then she thinks she can just call me 'the almighty Piper' like I'm supposed to know what to do? I don't think so! When did she get so high and mighty, miss oh-look-I-got-myself-stuck-in-a-cage-and-I-can't-get-out? I mean really!" Piper rambled, finally pausing for a much needed breath.  
  
"Piper," Brandy said calmly, reaching over and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Calm the fuck down."  
  
Piper tilted her head to the side slightly, then pouted a bit and said, "You sure do cuss a lot."  
  
Piper walked past Brandy and flopped herself down on the bed, bouncing up and down a bit before settling down. She glanced over at her roommate and raised a brow, not giving a reason for her completely random comment. It was obvious the woman was on the verge of a mental and/or emotional breakdown, her stress limit way since surpassed.  
  
Brandy sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking Piper's hand in her own and lacing their fingers together. She began to softly use her powers, hopefully in an unnoticeable manner, to try and calm her nerves. While doing so she forced a small smile, and in a very soothing voice, she spoke to Piper.  
  
"I want you to do me a favor. I want you to close your eyes, and imagine everything that's pissing you off right now collected in a giant bubble. Now, take that bubble and--"  
  
"Shove it," Piper interrupted, trying not to laugh at the look on Brandy's face. "I don't want you to use your psycho babble on me, or your wooga-wooga touch and heal empathy powers. Yes, right now I'm just a little bit insane, but I think anyone else would be as well in my position."  
  
"Agreed," Brandy replied, shaking her head slightly at Piper's words. "Yet letting this stress build up is only going to make things worse. You can't deny that it's already starting to eat you up inside, because I can feel it. It's radiating off of you like steam from a street whore in the middle of a heat wave."  
  
Piper giggled and at her analogy, then tugged on her hand to pull her down closer to her. Once the two were eye to eye, Piper gave Brandy a soft, quick kiss, then pulled back and gave her hand a small squeeze. She nodded slightly and sighed, then said, "You're right."  
  
"I am?" Brandy asked, raising a playful eyebrow.  
  
Piper nodded and replied, "I'm very stressed, but I kid you not, compare me to a street whore again and I will kick your ass all the way from here to Timbuktu."  
  
"I compared your stress to the steam from the street whore, thank you very much," Brandy said in defense, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Don't get me started," Piper murmured, pulling Brandy so she was laying next to her. "Just hold me, okay? I just need to feel you right now, nothing else."  
  
"You got it," Brandy whispered, wrapping her arms around her and holding her close. She kissed the top of her head then closed her eyes, letting her feelings for Piper flow out through her body in waves. She smiled when she heard Piper sigh contentedly, hoping that soon, she would be able to rest and relax.  
  
Paige made her way downstairs from the attic, muscles tense. She paid no mind when she saw Leo orb into the livingroom, she didn't even look his way. She merely kept walking into the kitchen, and grabbed the coffee pot to prepare it. This was going to be a long night, and much caffeine was sure to be needed.  
  
While Paige was preparing the coffee, Leo walked in behind her with a frown upon his face. He sighed and sat down at the table, waiting for her to acknowledge him before he spoke. Paige finally turned around and sat down across from him, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"What did they say?" she asked quietly.  
  
"The only was to keep Phoebe totally safe would be to keep her locked away up there," Leo replied, motioning upward. "I know it sounds drastic to keep her up there, atleast until the child is born, but it's the best was to keep her completely out of harms way."  
  
Paige lowered her eyes and nodded, knowing that he was right. After a moment she looked back up at him and said, "I'll break the news, I'm on Piper's bad side as it is. No need for you to suffer her wrath. Go, shoo."  
  
Leo began to orb out, but stopped and turned to look at Paige with concerned eyes. "How is she?" he asked softly.  
  
"She's holding together, with our help. I honestly have to say she's taking this all better than I thought she would."  
  
Leo smiled faintly and nodded as blue lights surrounded him and he disappeared from the room. When he was gone, Paige laid her head down on the table before her, silent tears making their way down her face.  
  
Morning came all too swiftly for the trio sleeping upstairs. Two had spent the night filled with peaceful dreams thanks to their Protector, while the third unfortunately suffered nightmares that plagued her every thought. Finally, earlier than she would have liked, she was awaken with a start.  
  
Brandy sat up suddenly, her eyes wide. Her hair clung to her face and neck, sweat pasting it to her overheated skin. She sucked in a shaky breath, glancing down at the woman sleeping next to her. As she ran a pale hand through her hair, she sighed and tried to calm her pounding heart.  
  
Piper stirred lightly when Brandy jumped awake, her arms reaching out for her. She groaned in frustration in her sleep, her eyes finally fluttering open. She looked up at Brandy, who was quite obviously disheveled, and a concerned frown crossed her face.  
  
"What happened? What's wrong?" she asked, reaching for her hand.  
  
"Nightmare," Brandy whispered, trying to force a smile. To her dismay, it was more of a grimace. "Go back to sleep."  
  
"Tell me," Piper said softly.  
  
"Just replays of things that happened in the past, things that happened to me when I was younger. It's nothing to stress over, really, I don't know why it's affecting me so much."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"My childhood wasn't the best," Brandy said softly, laying back on the bed. "My father... did things. That's all."  
  
"What kind of things?" Piper asked, scooting closer.  
  
"He drank, and he got violent when he drank. I just remember nights when he would yell at my mother and hit her... and me." She paused and looked down at Piper, then said, "No big deal."  
  
"It is a big deal, Brandy!" Piper exclaimed, sitting up. "I can't believe-- my God. I'm so sorry..."  
  
Brandy laughed softly and said, "Don't be sorry Piper, I'm not."  
  
"I just can't imagine having to go through something like that. It must have been horrible for you growing up."  
  
"You get used to it after a while, trust me."  
  
"You shouldn't have had to get used to something like that, no one should have to go through it. I wish there was something I could do, anything to make the memories go away."  
  
Brandy sat up and looked Piper in the eyes, a soft smile on her face as she said, "All my life I've helped others through their pain, kept them feeling happy. That's my job. I push my own emotions back, it's how I go on."  
  
"Emotions aren't something you can just push aside," Piper said.  
  
"I know that, but it's what I have to do. And now that I'm your Protector, you and your sister's needs come first. I shouldn't have let on how I felt about you, it would have been better if I hadn't."  
  
"No," Piper said. "You say your job is to keep people happy, and take care of their needs. Well having you be a part of my life, I need that. You make me happy Brandy, can't you see that?"  
  
Brandy shook her head and stood, pulling on a sweatshirt as she shuffled towards the door. She glanced back over at Piper as she opened the door and said, "I can't let my emotions show anymore. That was my mistake, and those dreams were a sign that they were conflicting with my duties." With that, she turned and left the room.  
  
Piper growled and smacked her pillow as hard as she could. Without thinking she shouted, "Some Protector you are!" She instantly regretted it, and hoped Brandy hadn't heard. Now was not the time for another falling out.  
  
Brandy did hear her, and paused a moment before heading down the stairs. She grit her teeth and forced herself not to say a word, pushing forward to descend down the stairs. She fought with her inner self to get her mind off of Piper, trying to come up with anything that would divert her thoughts. Thankfully, she was awarded with a diversion as she entered the kitchen and found Paige asleep with her head on the table.  
  
"Paige?" she asked softly, placing her hand on her arm.  
  
"Wha-?!" Paige exclaimed, nearly jumping off of the seat. "What's going on? What did I miss?"  
  
Brandy surpressed her laughter as she jumped back, then bit her tongue to keep from commenting. She merely shrugged her shoulders and went towards the coffee pot, which was still on. The coffee was cold, seeing as it had sat there all night, but that's what microwaves are for.  
  
"Tell me I didn't sleep in here all night," Paige groaned, stretching.  
  
"Okay, you didn't sleep in here all night," Brandy replied with a lopsided grin, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She walked over and sat it in the microwave, then turned to look at Paige. "So,  
  
how does that table sleep? Any back pain, neck cramps?"  
  
"Bite me," Paige grumbled, standing up from her seat. She let out a whimper as pain shot up through her body, then said, "Serious back pain, lots of neck cramps. I do not recommend this model to the public."  
  
"Your comments have been noted in our records. Thank you for your time; Halliwell Sleep Company appreciates it."  
  
Paige laughed softly, reaching to grab her own cup from the cabinet. After she had poured coffee in it and heated it up in the microwave, she sat down across from Brandy. She took a sip, then looked up and tilted her head to the side.  
  
"Piper still asleep?" she asked.  
  
"Negative," Brandy replied. "She's probably going to avoid me for the majority of the day, or either try to get me alone to talk to me later. Either way, I know I'm in for an earful eventually."  
  
"Oh, so you pissed her off too?"  
  
"No, but I think I upset her a bit when I said what I did this morning. I basically told her now was not the time for us to get involved, seeing as I'm your Protector. I can't be love sick and still expect to do a good job. It's my duty to protect you three and make sure nothing happens, and being in a relationship is not the way to do it."  
  
Paige sighed and said, "But what if being in a relationship with her is the best thing for her? It's obvious she cares about you, and vice versa. Piper is the kind of person who needs someone to lean on, someone to hold her when things get rough. Just give it some thought before you push her away, because I know in the end you'll both need each other. Plus, who knows, you could really belong together. Destiny, you know?"  
  
"Now is not the time," Brandy said sternly. "I need a clear head to do what I'm supposed to do."  
  
Paige held her hands up in defense and said, "Hey, don't kill the messenger. I'm just saying you should think it over before giving up on the whole relationship. I know it sounds weird coming from me, seeing as I don't really support it, but Piper has been more happy since you showed up than she has been in a while. I have to admit, Leo didn't even make her seem this happy."  
  
"Paige, I'm not going to put everyone's life at risk for a case of puppy love. There is no way I can be that important to Piper anyway, we barely know each other."  
  
"What about your feelings for her?"  
  
Brandy sighed and said, "Like I said, my feelings don't matter anymore. You, Phoebe and Piper come first, and if there's time after that, then me. Right now I have bigger things to worry about, like Phoebe's safety. Speaking of which, did Leo get any information yet?"  
  
Paige nodded and said, "He told me the only way to keep her completely safe is to hide her away with the Elders."  
  
"Damn," Brandy muttered. "We need to tell Phoebe and Piper."  
  
"I told Leo I'd break the news," Paige told her, standing. "Since Piper is already awake I'll go tell her, and I'll wait to tell Phoebe when she gets up." She paused to sigh, then said, "Things keep getting worse and worse, don't they?"  
  
"Indeed, I just hope things start to look up soon."  
  
Paige nodded then turned and headed out of the kitchen. She went up the stairs and knocked softly on Piper's door, not waiting for and answer before she opened it and walked in. Piper glanced up with a disturbed look, opening her mouth to berate Paige for last night as well as coming in before she said she could. Seeing as she really wanted to be alone right now, she didn't want company.  
  
"Before you start screaming at me," Paige said, stopping Piper before she began yelling at her, "I wanted to let you know what Leo told me about Phoebe. After that, you can say whatever you want to me."  
  
Piper didn't say anything, she just closed her mouth and nodded as if to say she could go ahead. When she did Paige sighed and sat down on the bed, then said, "She has to stay with the Elders, atleast until her baby is born. It's the only way to make sure nothing happens to her."  
  
"Couldn't Brandy just watch over her? She is our Protector isn't she?" Piper asked, frowning.  
  
"She's still training, so I don't think the Elders are ready to put Phoebe in her protection. Plus, we can't all watch over her 24 hours a day. Only the Elders could do that."  
  
Piper nodded, then asked, "Does Phoebe know yet?"  
  
"No, she's still sleeping. She needs the rest, so I think we should wait until she wakes up on her own. We'll be able to protect her until then; I don't even think anyone knows aside from us."  
  
"How do we know she hasn't told Cole yet? We didn't get the chance to ask her before Brandy put her to sleep," Piper said, concerned.  
  
"I think he would have already tried to take her from us if he knew," Paige replied. "We just have to hope for the best, Piper. We all need to be strong, for Phoebe's sake."  
  
Piper nodded, glancing up at Paige with a frown. She paused to draw in a shallow breath, then said, "I'm sorry I blew up on you last night, I know you probably didn't mean anything by what you said. We were all upset, and I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."  
  
"I'm the one who should be sorry, Piper. You had every right to be mad at me. I should have just kept my big mouth shut and not said anything, but you know me."  
  
Piper drew her little sister into a hug, then pulled back and forced a smile. Paige was right, they had to be strong. They had all been through worse, this was merely a stepping stone towards their goal. They would get through it just fine if they all stuck together and did their best not to snap at each other. Everything was going to be all right.  
  
"Go check on Phoebe," Piper said, standing. "I need to go talk to Brandy about something."  
  
"Might not be the best idea," Paige replied.  
  
"Why, did she say something?" Piper asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Paige rose her hands in defense and said, "I'm staying out of this, forget I said anything. I'm going to go check on Phoebe now, you go do your thing."  
  
"Right," Piper replied, shaking her head as she headed out of the room. She made her way downstairs and paused in the kitchen door, watching Brandy who was still sitting at the table sipping at her coffee. The paper was spread out in front of her, though she was obviously not reading it. Her eyes were distant and unfocused, as if she was lost in her own thoughts.  
  
"Hey," Piper said softly, finally entering the kitchen.  
  
Brandy snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Piper sitting across from her. She forced a small smile, setting her coffee down on the table, before saying, "Hey yourself."  
  
"Paige is checking on Phoebe, and I, well, I think you and I need to talk."  
  
Brandy sighed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. She paused for a moment before asking, "About what?"  
  
"About us. I understand your reasons, but I don't think you understand mine."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I told you that having you be a part of my life makes me happy, and you practically brushed me off."  
  
"I'm still going to be part of your life, as your Protector."  
  
"And you say my feelings come first, but yet you're totally disregarding them!" Piper exclaimed.  
  
"I can't discuss this anymore, Piper," Brandy replied, standing. "I'm sorry, but I just can't."  
  
Piper stood as well, eyes boring into Brandy's. She lunged forward and shoved her back against the cabinets, then pressed herself against her. "Shut up," she murmured before capturing Brandy's lips with her own.  
  
Brandy resisted at first, trying to push her away, yet she gave in to her desire. She rose her hands and tangled them in Piper's hair, deepening the kiss. Both were lost in the moment, finally breaking away when they began to run out of breath.  
  
Piper looked up at Brandy, her eyes almost pleading. "You can't deny it," she whispered.  
  
"I have to," Brandy replied, her voice cracking. She was trying her best to hold her emotions back.  
  
"No you don't!" Piper exclaimed, eyes watering.  
  
"Don't do this, Piper," Brandy replied, choking back a small sob. "We haven't been together long enough to feel this way!"  
  
"Fate works in mysterious ways," Piper said softly, taking Brandy's hand in hers. "I know that I... I already... love you."  
  
Brandy bit her lip, trying to keep herself from crying or admitting something she had no right to. She lowered her head, drew in a deep breath and said, "I can't love you back, Piper. I'm sorry." With that, she pushed away from her and ran out of the room.  
  
"Damnit," Piper muttered, resting her head against a cabinet.  
  
Meanwhile, upstairs, Paige was sitting on the bed beside Phoebe, watching over her. She was lying on her side, curled up into a little ball, dried tear streaks trailing down her face. Paige sighed and reached forward to brush her hair back, then leaned down to kiss her forehead.  
  
Phoebe stirred lightly, her eyelids fluttering. She groaned softly then rolled over onto her back, eyes opening. She blinked hard against the bright sunlight, then caught sight of Paige out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Please tell me it was all one big nightmare," she murmured, turning her head to look at Paige.  
  
"I wish I could say it was, Pheebs," Paige replied softly. "We uh, we got news from Leo."  
  
"Bad news, I take it."  
  
Paige forced a smile and said, "You're going to get to spend some quality time with the Elders."  
  
"How long?" Phoebe asked softly, biting her lip.  
  
"Until the baby is born, or longer."  
  
"No," Phoebe exclaimed, matter of factly. "I'm not leaving you guys for nine months, let alone longer. There's no way."  
  
"You have to," Paige replied, hanging her head. "We can't give you the kind of protection you need here."  
  
"I'm not going, and that's final!" Phoebe exclaimed, sitting up. "I'll quit my job, and I'll stay home. Brandy and Leo can watch over me when you and Piper are off at work."  
  
"I don't know, Pheebs. We'll have to talk to Leo and the Elders about it to see what they think."  
  
"Even if they don't agree, I'm staying here. I'm not going to run off and abandon my sisters."  
  
"You wouldn't be abandoning us, you'd be keeping yourself safe," Paige replied, trying to convince her, for her own safety.  
  
"I'm not leaving," Phoebe said through clenched teeth. "End of subject."  
  
"Fine," Paige muttered under her breath, before turning concerned eyes on Phoebe. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Under the circumstances I'd say I'm doing well, but I'm at a loss as to what I should be feeling. Should I be mad at Cole, angry at myself, or happy that I'm going to be having a baby?"  
  
"I don't know," Paige said softly, at a loss for better words.  
  
"I'm going to be a mother," Phoebe said with a faint smile. "For that, I'm happy."  
  
"I would be too," Paige replied, returning her sister's smile. "I never told you, but I was pregnant once when I was younger. I wasn't ready for a child, and I had an abortion. Some days I just sit and wonder if it would have been a boy or a girl. I also want to know what it would have looked like, and if I would have been a good mother."  
  
"I'm sorry, Paige. I'm sure you would have made a wonderful mother."  
  
Paige smiled softly and said, "Don't waste your time feeling sorry for me, Phoebe. You've got better things to think about, like what to name your baby!"  
  
"I've got nine months to worry about that!" Phoebe replied, laughing softly.  
  
"It's never too soon to name your baby. You need to start getting ideas, girl."  
  
"I've always loved the name Tyler for a boy, but if I have a girl I want to keep with the 'P' tradition. How about Pamela? Or maybe Penelope?"  
  
Paige scrunched up her nose then jokingly said, "I think I like Princess."  
  
"Not in a million years, Paige Matthews!"  
  
"Hey now there's a GREAT name: Paige!"  
  
Phoebe grinned and tossed a pillow at Paige, a genuine laugh escaping her lips. Her insides were still tense and ill-feeling, but for at least a moment, her mind was off of the current situation. She sighed and stretched, then glanced out the window.  
  
"I wonder what he's doing right now," she said, absentmindedly, frowning softly.  
  
"I wish I could tell you sweetie, but I have no idea," Paige replied, regretfully.  
  
"It's probably better that I don't know, anyway. He's an evil son of a bitch, and he's probably trying to devise a plan to take the baby away from me."  
  
"We're not going to let that happen."  
  
"I'm just afraid... After we lost Prue... Piper couldn't handle losing another sister." Phoebe said, her eyes beginning to water again.  
  
"Don't think like that, Phoebe," Paige replied, rubbing her arm softly. "Rest, everything will be okay. I'm going to go talk to Brandy and Piper about what you want to do."  
  
"I don't want to rest anymore," Phoebe muttered, getting up. "I didn't even want to rest last night, but apparently I had no choice! I'll tell everyone my decision, you do whatever the hell you want!"  
  
Paige sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she watched her sister leave the room. "Ah, the harmonal mood swings of a pissed of pregnant woman," she muttered.  
  
"Phoebe, you're up!" Piper exclaimed as Phoebe shuffled into the kitchen. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"The next person who asks me how I'm feeling is going to get a slipper to the back of the head," Phoebe replied, going straight for the coffee."  
  
"Sorry," Piper muttered, shifting from one foot to the other. "Want me to leave you alone?"  
  
"No, I'm just not in the best of moods," Phoebe replied, taking a sip of coffee only to spit it right back out. "Blech, this coffee is cold! Who made this?"  
  
"I did, last night," Paige replied as she walked back into the kitchen. "Where's Brandy? I thought she would still be in here."  
  
"Hell if I know," Piper muttered, walking from the room.  
  
"Hoo boy," Paige said, plopping down in a chair.  
  
Meanwhile, down in the basement, Brandy stood alone. Her arms were held out in front of her in a ready stance, her eyes closed. She breathed in slowly through her nose, out through her mouth, preparing herself. Other than breathing, she made no movements; she could almost have been mistaken for a statue.  
  
"Focus," a distorted voice instructed from somewhere in the room. "Open your eyes, and see me."  
  
Brandy continued to stand still, yet her eyes opened, a black shadow covering both entirely. As she looked ahead, the hologram she had been training with transformed into Cole, a sadistic smile on his face. He stepped forward, and stared into her eyes.  
  
"You are mine now," he growled. "The Charmed Ones will be destroyed, and the child will be mine."  
  
~*~  
  
End part six  
  
~*~ 


	7. Chapter Seven

Book One - Revelations (7/?)  
  
by: Brandy Leigh  
  
~*~  
  
Paige rested her arms on the table before her, her eyes filled with a look of distress and concern. Her whole world was falling apart around her, and something horrible was happening to all of her family members. It seemed as if everytime they turned around something else went wrong, and nothing ever went right. Their lives were filled with turmoil and damnation, as if the Fates were purposely trying to drive them insane.  
  
With a sigh and a frustrated grumble, Paige stood and kicked her chair in. She'd be damned if she was going to just sit there and act depressed. By God, she was going to do something about this! Scrunching up her nose in thought, she spun around and walked on out of the kitchen, power walking towards the stairs. She was almost to the stairwell when Brandy transed in out of nowhere, blocking her path.  
  
"Problem child number one, we've got to talk," she told Brandy, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Oh really?" Brandy asked, mocking her stance. A strange and almost sinister look was upon her face.  
  
Paige halted in her words, actually taking a timid step away from the woman before her. She swallowed a lump in her throat in fear; she was picking up on something that made her feel uneasy. As she was backing she stepped the wrong way, making her trip and almost fall. Brandy quickly snapped her hand out and caught her by the arm, her grip as tight as possible.  
  
"You're hurting me," Paige squeaked out, trying to pull away.  
  
"Good," Brandy replied, her eyes clouding over with black as she picked Paige up and slung her across the room like a ragdoll.  
  
Paige hit the wall face first with a thud, a small moan escaping her lips as she slowly slid to the floor. She laid still on the floor, unconsious. Brandy smiled wickedly and walked over to her, placing a hand on the back of her head. A blue mist rose out of Paige and flowed into Brandy, a satisfied look on her face as it filled her.  
  
"Nice powers," Brandy said with a grin, turning away from the unconscious woman as she felt the presence of someone behind her. It was Phoebe, running into the room after hearing the commotion in the living room.  
  
"What are you doing?" Phoebe asked, stepping forward cautiously.  
  
Brandy noticed she had one hand behind her back, and honed in on the object she was holding. She smiled when she felt the sharp blade of the knife in her mind, then held her hand out in front of herself.  
  
"Knife!" she commanded, grinning as she saw blue orbs behind Phoebe, then more in her hand as she accessed Paige's powers. "Again, I say nice," she murmered, before pitching the knife across the room, watching as it struck the wall directly beside Phoebe's head.  
  
"Oh God," Phoebe muttered, dashing for the stairs. "Piper! LEO!"  
  
Halfway up the stairs, Brandy materialized before her, blocking her path. She reached forward and grabbed Phoebe by the throat,  
  
lifting her into the air effortlessly. She grinned that wicked grin and started down the stairs, carrying Phoebe along with her. When she reached the bottom she slammed her against the wall, holding her to it, feet dangling in the air.  
  
Phoebe's airway was being restricted by the force of Brandy's grip, and her vision was beginning to blur. Her head felt fuzzy, and her thoughts were beginning to meld together as blackness licked at the outskirts of her eyesight. With one last kick of struggle, Phoebe fell still, her body limp as Brandy dropped her to the floor.  
  
"Phoebe!" Piper exclaimed, rushing down the stairs. Leo followed soon after, orbing in and kneeling next to Paige first.  
  
"Brandy, what are you doing?" Piper asked in a strained whisper, stepping towards her slowly. "Paige and Phoebe... why?"  
  
"Possessed... evil..." Paige muttered as Leo began to heal her. Once Leo lifted his hands from her, she pulled herself into a sitting position and said, "Be careful Piper, she's under some sort of spell!"  
  
Piper bit her lip and took another cautious step towards Brandy, reaching a hand out to her. Still whispering, she said, "Let me help you, Brandy. I can help you to fight this. Look at me, look me in the eyes. We can fight this together."  
  
Brandy growled as she watched Leo inch over towards Phoebe to heal her, trying to be discrete. She tried to surpress a grin as she swung her arm out towards him. A white ball of electricity shot out and slammed into Leo, sending him flying back against the wall. He hit with such a force that the wall cracked under his weight, and he shattered outwards into shards of blue light.  
  
"Oh shit," Piper gasped, haulting in her steps.  
  
"Leo?" Paige called out, looking around as she and Piper both waited for him to reassemble. Nothing happened. "What did you just do to him? Where did he go?"  
  
"Hell if I know, I've never done that before," Brandy replied, turning her darkened eyes back to Piper. "You were saying?"  
  
"I need you to--" she paused and sucked in a breath, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall, "--fight... fight this."  
  
Brandy scoffed and advanced toward her, stretching out her hand, still glowing from the energy she used to banish Leo from the room. Even as Piper could feel the evil she stayed still, hoping her faith in Brandy was not in vain. To her surprise and relief, as Brandy neared her, she haulted. Her hand visibly shook with the effort she was exerting to keep herself from harming Piper.  
  
Piper let out the breath she had been holding and nodded, forcing the smallest of smiles as she said, "That's it. Just a little bit more. I know you can do it, force it away."  
  
Brandy shook her head and growled, trying again to place her hand against Piper's flesh. Sweat was beginning to trail down her face and neck, her face turning red from the strain. She moved forward an inch or so, hand millimeters from Piper, locking eyes with her. Her expression turned into a grimace of pain as she stumbled back and fell to her knees, gripping her wrist tightly. She let out a strangled moan and slammed back against the wall with much force.  
  
Piper winced and kneeled down next to her, reaching out her hand. She looked into Brandy's eyes, ignoring the tears that were now flowing freely down her face. Softly, her voice barely above a whisper, she said, "Take my hand."  
  
Brandy forced herself to look at Piper's hand, and noticed it was shaking almost as badly as her own. With an effort beyond any she would have ever believed she possessed, she thrust her spirit forward through the darkness that was holding her captive. As her hand grasped onto Piper's, her breath caught in her throat. All the love that Piper felt for her, the love she had denied could already exist, flowed through the bond, connected them eternally.  
  
The darkness slowly forced its way into Brandy's gut, burying itself in the place where evil motives are born. As it hit bottom and sealed itself away, Brandy's eyes began to clear. The blue depths that now held knowledge beyond human comprehension filled with unshed tears as her body gave way to weakness. With a groan of exaughstion she fell forward into Piper's arms, unconscious.  
  
"She's asleep," Piper said through tears, brushing Brandy's hair from her face.  
  
"We need to help Phoebe," Paige said softly, moving over to where her sister lay on the floor, "and find Leo."  
  
Piper wiped at her face, trying to clear her vision, and nodded slowly. She murmured, "You try to find Leo, I... I'll stay here with Brandy and Phoebe."  
  
Paige sighed and nodded, standing slowly. She glanced at Phoebe once more before orbing from the room, on a mission to find Leo. Once she was gone, Piper broke down completely, clutching Brandy to her. Through her sobs she managed to speak, though the words were hard for even her to decipher.  
  
"This makes no sense, you know. I don't even know your favorite color or movie or... if you have any brothers or sisters. Maybe you're right. Maybe us being together is a stupid idea. We just met a few days ago and I'm acting like we've been together for our whole lives. I guess I just need someone to smack me out of it, huh?"  
  
"Will you shut up already?" a familiar voice muttered, muffled by the shirt Piper was wearing.  
  
"Brandy!" Piper exclaimed, pulling back with wide eyes. "You're awake! I didn't think you'd wake up so quickly! Not that I'm not happy, but I--"  
  
Brandy groaned and pulled herself into a sitting position, whacking Piper on the arm. "Shh!" she exclaimed, holding her hand to her head. "I've got enough voices in my head right now, you're only making it worse."  
  
"Voices?" Piper asked softly, sucking in a sharp breath to try and control her sobs.  
  
Brandy bit her lip, rubbing her temples. "Not voices really, more like emotions. Everyone's, everywhere. It's almost defeaning." She paused for a moment and looked up at Piper. "I feel you. It was you that made me snap out of it. Your emotions call out to me louder than all the others. I think it's this spell but, I don't mind feeling you."  
  
Piper swallowed a lump in her throat and answered, "Then give me your hand, I want to feel you to."  
  
Brandy smiled softly and said, "If I do that, you might get all these other voices as well. I can barely contain it enough to get a handle on it, and I have a feeling it would drive you crazy. Maybe someday if I get it under control, but until then, no. But, back to the spell, or whatever the hell this is, I can still feel that as well. It's deep down inside, and I have to force to keep it from coming back out. Not to mention I feel like I have the hangover from hell."  
  
"What are we going to do?" Piper asked with a frown.  
  
"I'm not sure yet, but... oh shit," Brandy muttered, glancing around. "Leo, where... and Phoebe. Damnit, I did all this..."  
  
"No, it wasn't you. It was that damn spell that took over your body. Don't you dare blame this on you. Paige is looking for Leo right now, and as soon as he gets back he can heal Phoebe. She's only unconscious, so she'll be okay."  
  
Brandy looked over at Phoebe and frowned, pulling herself over to A pained expression crossed her face, and she had to struggle to keep from whimpering. Piper put her hand on her arm and told her she needed to keep still, but she kept moving anyway. She hovered over Phoebe and rose her hands, holding them over her. She closed her eyes and summoned all of her remaining strength.  
  
"I figure..." she murmured, while concentrating, "that if I can feel everyone's emotions now..." a tiny white glow began to emit from her hands, "I should be able to... harness a new level of... empathy," she visibly winced as the light grew, part of her life force going forth and flowing into Phoebe, "and... heal."  
  
As she spoke, the light grew brighter, creating an aura around Brandy and Phoebe. After a few moments Phoebe's eyes began to flitter, and not long after they opened completely. As she sat up, Brandy fell backwards again, leaning against Piper. With a soft smile she looked up at Piper and said, "Besides, I'd be a pretty worthless Protector if I couldn't heal."  
  
"What's going on?" Phoebe muttered, obviously confused.  
  
"I kicked your ass, I healed you, all is well," Brandy muttered, wiping sweat from her brow. "Well, except for Leo," she said with a wince. "I hope he's not too mad at me."  
  
"Speaking of which," the voice of Paige said from behind them, causing them all to jump. "Sorry," she said with a sheepish grin, continuing. "I can't seem to find Leo anywhere. Seeing as Brandy is no longer a spawn of evil, I was thinking she could check with the Elders to find out where he is."  
  
"I don't think she's really in the condition to be transing all over the place," Piper said, still wiping at the stubborn tears that wouldn't stop.  
  
"I'll be fine," Brandy replied, pulling herself up. She swayed slightly, catching herself by grabbing hold of the doorway. "I have enough energy to get there, and maybe I can figure out how to heal myself on the way. If not, I'll have Leo do it as soon as I find him, assuming he doesn't kick my ass for blowing him up."  
  
"I'm still not so sure you should be running around just yet. You aren't an immortal yet, you could still get hurt."  
  
"I'm fine," Brandy said with a soft smile, cupping Piper's cheek with her hand. She brushed her thumb across it softly, wiping at the tears there. "I'll be back as soon as I can, with Leo."  
  
Brandy gave Piper one last smile before closing her eyes and transing from the room. The feel of her hand stayed on Piper's check even after she was gone, making her smile softly. She then sighed and made her way over to the couch, sitting down. Paige and Phoebe followed suit, sitting on either side of her. No one spoke a word as they waited for Brandy and Leo to return.  
  
"Damnit!" Cole bellowed, slamming his fist into the wall. He, along with the seer and several other demons, were inside the secret base under the Vega Building.  
  
The force of the blow caused the whole building to shake, making the plaster crack and pictures to fall within the above offices. People ran and screamed as they stumbled around, coffee cups and papers flying everywhere. A section of the building collapsed, smashing a few cars down below. Car alarms and police sirens were heard in the distance as Cole began to pace angrily.  
  
"I am beginning to get... very... ANGRY!" Cole roared, an aura made of flames surrounding him. It expanded, vanquishing every demon in the room aside from himself and the seer. Before the seer could lecture him about killing off his forces, he rose a hand to her. "Not... a word."  
  
The seer nodded, strangely calm, despite her master's current state of rage. She stood still at her place beside him, awaiting his next command. She didn't have to wait long before he said, through clenched teeth, "I have a new plan." The seer raised her brow, and Cole continued.  
  
"The demon infection I inflicted upon The Protector... is still within her. She knows it, as do the Charmed Ones. What they don't know is, it will slowly drive her insane. All the emotions of all the people of the world will continue to filter through her, more and more strongly each day. No amount of training could possibly help her put a handle on it," he told her, pacing the room.  
  
"So we wait, my lord?" the seer asked, watching him carefully.  
  
"In a sense, yes. Order the factions immediately to attack at will. Tell them whoever can take out The Protector first will be awarded with a place by my side, and immunity. Let them waste their strengths against her, weakening her hold on the virus. Before long she will wear down her resistance, and it will be my turn to strike again."  
  
The seer nodded, shimmering from the room to inform the factions of Cole's announcement. Once she had left, Cole reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture of he and Phoebe he had torn from the wall before. He lightly brushed his fingers across the image of Phoebe, one single tear making it's way down his face. As it traveled down it evaporated, the heat of his anger forcing it away.  
  
Cole took one last look around the room, crumpling up the picture as he did so. He closed his eyes and lit the paper afire with his powers, opening his eyes to watch the ashes float away. Stepping forward his feet crunched over the burning remains, and he turned into flames as well. With that, he was gone.  
  
Several moments after Brandy had left the manor, a set of blue lights began to form into a familiar shape. Right behind the blue lights was a collection of a white aura, which also formed into a shape they all knew. Before them now stood Leo and Brandy, both in seemingly perfect condition. Brandy smiled sheepishly over at Leo, who smiled back and shrugged.  
  
"No hard feelings," he told her, punching her playfully in the arm. "You had no control over your actions at the time. But you know, it really, really hurt."  
  
Brandy laughed lightly as she turned to look at Piper, who threw herself into her arms. Brandy hugged her back as she stroked her hair, whispering into her ear, "Told you I'd be back." She then pulled back and addressed the rest of the room. "Luckily for Leo, the Elders grabbed ahold of his... particles, once I... blew him up. If they hadn't, he would be an ectoplasmic puzzle right now."  
  
Paige chuckled under her breath, casting Leo a sideways glance as Brandy said, "I'm never going to live this down, am I Leo?"  
  
"Not a chance," he replied with a smile, patting her on the shoulder. Apparently this signaled it was time for a group hug, for Phoebe and Paige piled on the three in the middle. Several grunts and groans were heard from the two women in the center, eventually turning into laughter as the hug ended.  
  
"I think we all need a break after today," Paige said, talking with Phoebe and Leo about an outing at P3. As they talked, Piper pulled Brandy to the side, out of hearing range of the others.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking up at her.  
  
"Okay, considering," Brandy replied, trying to hide the pain in her eyes. "It's still hard to keep the emotions under control and keep myself from feeling them all at once, but I'm doing okay." She paused and glanced over at the others, then continued. "Paige is an emotional wreck, and she doesn't feel like there's anything she can do to help. She feels so worthless. Phoebe, she's scared to death about Cole. She feels so helpless, and doesn't know what to do. Leo... is confused. I can't really read him."  
  
"What about me?" Piper asked softly.  
  
"You're scared, but not for yourself. You're scared for everyone else, and you feel like it's your job to fix everything. It's not your job, you know. You can't make everything better on your own. We have to work together to get through this."  
  
"What else?"  
  
Brandy paused for a moment, smiling softly. She hesitated before she replied, "Love. Love for your family, love for your friends, and love... for me."  
  
"Hey guys!" Paige exclaimed, breaking up their emotional moment. "Does that sounds good to you?"  
  
"Does what sound good?" Piper asked, eyes still locked with Brandy. Neither looked away even long enough to glance at Paige.  
  
"A night out a P3," Phoebe replied, raising an eyebrow. "Weren't you guys paying attention?"  
  
"Sure we were," Brandy replied, finally breaking the gaze to turn and look at the others. "That sounds great, guys. We all need a break, and P3 sounds like the best place for it. Plus, I've never been there, so I'm definitely looking forward to it."  
  
"P3 it is," Paige said with a nod and a smile. "Let's go get changed!" she exclaimed, pulling Phoebe behind her as she ran up the stairs.  
  
Brandy winked at Piper, and the two disappeared in a collection of white light. Leo laughed lightly and shook his head, a blue light surrounding him as he magically changed into clothes for the evening. He paced around the room as he waited for the girls to get ready, thinking about the things that had happened lately.  
  
Piper and Brandy were obviously close, and he assumed they were interested in each other. He could only wonder if this was the thing that had caused their break up. It was highly unlikely they had been dating before, seeing as Piper was so wary of her in the beginning. But the feelings, the feelings of a curious woman who isn't sure of herself, that was most likely the problem.  
  
What if Piper were to discover this was the right thing for her? Would that mean she and Leo would never be together again? For the rest of his afterlife, would she always be the one he let get away? He cared for her, and he wanted the best for her. He wanted her to be happy, even if it meant being with someone else. Even if that someone else was a woman.  
  
"I hope you're ready, Leo!" Paige shouted from upstairs, letting him know the girls were almost ready to leave. Soon after he came to this conclusion, Paige and Phoebe came down the stairs with grins on their faces. Paige struck a pose and cast Leo a flirty smile, asking, "How do I look, dah-ling?"  
  
"Wonderful," Leo replied, turning to look at Phoebe as well. "You look great too, Phoebe."  
  
"Why thank you," Phoebe replied, glancing back up at the stairs. "Hurry up you two!" she shouted, placing her hands on her hips. "Lonely, depressed woman carrying a demon baby, here! Wouldn't want to keep me waiting, would you?" She turned to wink at Paige and Leo, letting them know she was just kidding.  
  
Fumbling sounds were heard as Brandy and Piper scrambled to get ready, the two of them stumbling down the stairs a few seconds later. They were out of breath, and Brandy's top was on crooked. Phoebe laughed at the sight and managed to say, "If I knew that was what it took to get you moving, Piper, I would have used it sooner!"  
  
"Bitch," Piper muttered, grabbing onto Brandy and pushing her towards the door. "The almighty Phoebe is in a hurry, so let's get moving."  
  
"Right behind you," Paige quipped, skipping along behind them.  
  
Leo waved his arm out in a gentleman-like fashion, signaling Phoebe to go before him. She cast him a genuine smile and walked behind her sisters, glancing over her shoulder at him as she did. He followed behind her with a smile on his face as well, thinking about how she used to flirt with him before he and Piper started to see each other.  
  
'No,' Leo thought, shaking his head, 'I can't. I promised Piper I'd wait for her, that I wouldn't move on... but has she? Either way, not with her sister. That would be wrong.'  
  
"You okay, Leo?" Phoebe asked, tossing him a sideways glance as they all piled into Piper's van.  
  
Leo climbed in and settled down next to her in the backseat, smiling as he said, "Yeah, just thinking."  
  
"About what, if you don't mind me asking."  
  
"Of course I don't mind, Phoebe. I was just thinking about..." he paused, debating on whether or not he should tell her the truth. He looked up at her, smiled softly, and said, "About when you and I first met."  
  
"You mean when we met you?" Phoebe asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"No, when you and I met, just us," Leo replied, running a hand through his hair nervously.  
  
"Are you coming onto me?" Phoebe asked, laughing slightly. She was asking him as a joke, not taking it seriously. Yet, when Leo didn't answer, her eyes widened in shock. He actually looked away and blushed, making Phoebe cough on a gasp, drawing the attention of everyone else in the van.  
  
"What's wrong Phoebe?" Piper asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.  
  
"Uh, nothing!" Phoebe exclaimed, looking back over at Leo. In a hushed voice she asked, "Are you serious?"  
  
Leo shifted nervously in his seat and said, "Look, Phoebe, the thing is, I've always been attracted to you. Back before Piper and I started to date, I was actually thinking of asking you out. I liked Piper as well, and I was hesitant to ask you. Then, when Piper made the first move towards me, I chose her. I fell in love with her, but things went wrong. I now know I have no choice but to let her go, and... well..."  
  
"Leo, right now is not the best time for either of us to be looking for a relationship. You and Piper just broke up, and now I've got this whole Cole situation to deal with. I admit I have feelings for you, I always have, but now is just not the time."  
  
"You have feelings for me?" Leo asked with a lopsided grin.  
  
Phoebe laughed and ruffled his hair playfully, nodding. "Yes Leo, I do. Look, I'll make you a deal. For now, at least until things settle down, let's just stay friends. Both of us are hurting, and it would be a bad idea to start something. Plus, do you really want to date a woman carrying a half witch, half demon child? The child of the source of all evil?"  
  
"I liked you when you were the bubbly teen witch," Leo said playfully, grinning, "and I like you now. You didn't choose for this to happen, and I don't blame you. You're the same person I fell for, and nothing will ever change that."  
  
"Are you saying I still act like a bubbly teen witch?" Phoebe asked, her face deadpan. After a few seconds of letting Leo sweat for an answer, she laughed and said, "I know what you meant."  
  
Leo let out a sigh of relief and smiled, reaching over to take her hand. With a nod he said, "Okay, it's a deal."  
  
Phoebe squeezed his hand reassuringly, but didn't let it go. The two sat in silence, holding hands, all the way to P3. Once they were there, everyone piled out of the van, heading into the club. No one seemed to notice the secret look shared between the two as they made their way inside.  
  
"Drinks are on the house, as usual," Piper said, grabbing Brandy's hand and dragging her over to the bar. "Get what you'd like, anything at all."  
  
Brandy smiled and glanced around the club, taking it all in. She turned to Piper and said, "This place is amazing, Piper. I can't believe you actually own it." Turning to the bartender, she said, "Just a beer, please."  
  
The bartender popped the top on a bottle of beer and handed it over to her, smiling. As she took a sip, Piper led her over to corner she and her sisters usually sat in when they were at the club. She sat down on one of the love seats there and pulled Brandy down to sit next to her, smiling. Brandy smiled back and looked out over the club again, amazed.  
  
"You must have put a lot into this place," she said, casting a sideways glance at Piper.  
  
Piper nodded and snatched her beer, taking a sip before giving it back to her. At Brandy's raised eyebrow she grinned and said, "In kindergarten, they teach you to share. Didn't you pay attention?"  
  
Brandy laughed and said, "Of course, but I never did what I was told to do. I was a bad, bad girl."  
  
"I think you need a spanking," Piper replied, grinning.  
  
Brandy raised her eyebrow again, giving her a mischievous smile. She set her beer down and turned to face Piper, taking her hands in her own. She pulled her close, leaned down until her lips were so close they could feel each other's breaths, and said, "Maybe I do."  
  
Piper shivered and licked her lips, holding tightly onto Brandy's hands. "If this is what you're like after one beer, I can't wait to see how you are after you've had a few more," she told her.  
  
Brandy grinned and leaned down further to brush her lips against Piper's jawline, pulling back and turning away to tease her. She picked up her beer and idly drank as she looked around the club, laughing when Piper smacked her on the arm.  
  
"What?" she asked, looking over at her. "You said you wanted to see how I was after I'd had a few more beers, so I figured I'd wait until then."  
  
Piper just shook her head and grinned, glancing over at the bar. She paused when she saw Phoebe and Leo talking together, laughing over a couple of drinks. Of course the two of them talked all the time, but they never usually stood that close together. And the look on Phoebe's face, it was like the one she used to get around Leo when they first met him.  
  
"What's wrong?" Brandy asked, following her line of vision.  
  
"Nothing," Piper replied, shaking the feeling off. She assured herself it was all in her mind, seeing as Phoebe and Leo would obviously never get together. It would be totally preposterous.  
  
Phoebe and Leo were unaware of their spectators, and also unaware of how their talking together looked to other people. Neither one of them knew their flirting glances or idle touches were causing suspicion, or that people who passed them by who didn't know them thought of them as a couple. They were unaware they were breaking the promise they had made to each other, and unaware their hearts were taking on a mind of their own.  
  
As the two couples sat, drank, and talked together throughout the night, Paige was off flirting with various guys in the club. She had her eyes on one guy in particular, and was working her way up to approaching him. She finally decided to go over, dancing up to him. When she was right behind him she 'accidentally' bumped into him, turning to look at him with a fake surprised look.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Paige exclaimed, placing her hand on his arm. "I guess I wasn't looking where I was going."  
  
"It's okay," the man told her, smiling. "Hey, I've seen you in here before. You're sisters with the owner, right?"  
  
Paige nodded and smiled softly, hoping maybe that would coheres him into giving her a chance. To her delight he nodded over to the bar and said, "I'm Daniel, would you allow me to buy you a drink?"  
  
"Paige," she replied, holding her hand out to him. When he took it he kissed it, causing her to blush. "I'd be delighted to have a drink with you," she added.  
  
Daniel placed his hand on the small of her back and led her over to the bar, sitting down on a stool and motioning the bartender over to them. He ordered his drink then turned to Paige, allowing her to order her drink as well. He place a fifty dollar bill down on the counter and winked at Paige, taking a sip of his drink as it came to him.  
  
"So Paige, what brings you here?" Daniel asked.  
  
Paige smiled and gave him a somewhat true version of how she had met her sisters and the reason for her moving in with them. She left out the parts about she and her sisters being witches of course, and also the fact they fought demons on a daily basis. The two continued to talk about various other things, including Daniel's life and, an ever popular subject, the weather.  
  
Everyone enjoyed themselves, and stayed at the club until they were all too tired to stay any longer. Two of the five of them were completely trashed, the two being Brandy and Piper. They had stayed in the littler corner the whole time, talking, flirting, and drinking. Leo, being the only completely sober one of the bunch, drove them home, listening to the two women slur and laugh the whole way.  
  
Phoebe called shotgun and sat up front with Leo, her hand on his thigh as they traveled back to the manor. They stayed silent the entire ride, casting little glances at each other the whole way. Phoebe, who was the slightest bit drunk, was starting to throw away her inhibitions. Even though she knew anything she did with Leo would be completely wrong, she couldn't help but to visualize certain different scenarios in her mind.  
  
Once back at the manor, the drunkest of the bunch made their way up the stairs, giggling and stumbling about. They bumped into the wall and each other nearly every other step, finally making their way into the room they shared. Paige rolled her eyes and shook her head as she heard the thump of someone hitting the floor. She then turned to Phoebe and Leo, yawning.  
  
"I think it's time for me to turn in too," she told them, walking over to the stairs. "Oh, and if a guy named Daniel calls for me, let me know as soon as possible," she added with a grin, bounding up to her room.  
  
Phoebe laughed as they watched her sister head up the stairs, shaking her head. She turned to look at Leo and said, "I think Paige has a goal to see how many guys she can make fall in love with her."  
  
"Maybe she's going for a world record," Leo replied, taking a step towards her.  
  
"Probably," Phoebe said, pausing when she noticed the way Leo was looking at her. She bit her lip and took a step closer to him as well, leaning up a bit. "Leo..."  
  
"Yeah?" he asked, wrapping a hand around her waist and pulling her to him.  
  
"We shouldn't... we can't... it would be wrong," she murmured, even though her eyes were locked with his, a look of desire on her face.  
  
"You're right, you're drunk," he told her, leaning down until his lips were almost touching hers.  
  
"Okay, so there are two reasons why it would be wrong," she replied, seconds before the two of them locked their lips in a passionate kiss. The sound of someone barreling down the stairs caused them to jump apart and blush, both hoping whoever it was hadn't seen them kissing.  
  
"Just getting a glass of water, don't mind me," Paige said as she ran past them into the kitchen. A few seconds later she emerged, heading back up the stairs, oblivious.  
  
Phoebe and Leo both let out a sigh of relief, then exchanged a small glance. Phoebe lowered her head and bit her lip, shuffling her foot as she said, "We can't do this Leo, not yet. It's just too soon for the both of us. Please understand I'd like nothing more than to kiss you again, but it's just not the right time."  
  
Leo nodded and smiled, gently brushing his hand across her cheek. He then stepped back from her and said, "I understand Phoebe, and I'm willing to wait. I know I said I'd always wait for Piper, but I know we'll never be together again. I don't want you to feel like I'm using you as a release or a rebound, or like you're my second choice. I want any relationship we have to be genuine, and the only way that will happen is over time."  
  
"Thank you for understanding, Leo."  
  
Leo just smiled, his whole body being engulfed in blue lights as he orbed from the room. His whispered goodbye echoed through the room as the lights faded, leaving Phoebe alone. She raised her hand to her lips and touched them softly, the feel of his lips still lingering. She smiled happily and skipped up the stairs, humming a random song as she got ready for bed.  
  
While Phoebe was climbing into her bed, Brandy and Piper were in their room, trying their hardest to change into clothes to sleep in. Being as drunk as they were, their balance was off, making it difficult. Finally the two had changed and collapsed on the bed next to each other, giggling at their own clumsiness.  
  
"I don't think I ever dranken so much," Piper muttered, rolling over to look at Brandy.  
  
"Is dranken even a word?" Brandy asked, giggling as she propped her head up on her arm.  
  
"It is if I say so!" Piper exclaimed, grinning. "Hey, I gotta question. How are you handing the... the... thing Cole did to you?"  
  
"The spell thing? It's still really hard to hold it all down and keep a handle on it and you know but I'm managing. I think all I need to do is concentrate on a certain emotion or person and it makes it easier and... you know."  
  
"So what is it you concentrate on?"  
  
"Well," Brandy said, slowly sliding over and sitting up. She leaned over Piper and dropped a soft kiss to her lips, then said, You. And," another kiss on her jaw, "the emotions you feel and," a lingering kiss on her neck, "how you make me feel." She trailed her lips up and captured Piper's again, grinning. "I love the way it feels to be so closely connected to you."  
  
"I thought you couldn't be close to me," Piper whispered, afraid she was dreaming and would break the moment if she talked loudly.  
  
"I need you," Brandy whispered back, before lowering her lips to Piper's again.  
  
Although they were both drunk, they knew exactly what they were doing. Neither had been thinking more clearly than they were now, and all inhibitions were gone. Being this close to Piper made Brandy realize how much she really needed her, and how much Piper needed her, too. See wanted to put her wants and needs aside to focus on being the Protector, but this is what they both needed.  
  
"I love you," Brandy murmured through the kiss, and that was all either needed to know.  
  
~*~  
  
End part seven  
  
~*~  
  
Authors notes: *Whew* This chapter was the hardest one to write yet. I developed a mild case of writers block while I tried to write this one, but managed to pull it off. With the demon virus inside of Brandy and her upgraded empathy powers, Leo's secret love for Phoebe, and a night full of alcohol, this chapter was one of the craziest. Damn that soap opera syndrome. As you can see, the storyline is steadily twisting and turning. I can't even begin to predict what is in store for everyone, seeing as I'm not writing this story, my muse is. One can only imagine... 


	8. Interlude

Title: Diary of a Whitelighter - A Revelations Interlude  
  
Author: Brandy Leigh  
  
Disclaimer: Piper & Phoebe Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Leo Wyatt and Cole Turner don't belong to me, they belong to Constance M. Burge, Spelling Television, and The WB. I'm not making any money off of this, so don't sue me!  
  
Feedback: DUH! Gimme! brandyb@exis.net  
  
Archive: I guarantee you I'll say yes, just ask me first so I can visit!  
  
Keywords: AU, Supernatural, Romance  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Spoilers: None so far  
  
Summary: An interlude between chapters seven and eight of Book One: Revelations. Covers several things mentioned in the story thus far, going in depth and explaining. Leo POV.  
  
Authors notes: This story came to mind when I realized Leo sounded a bit crazy when he told Phoebe how he felt. It would be rather weird for Leo to immediately bounce from Piper to Phoebe, so I figured I'd explain a little more in depth about why he said what he did in chapter seven. This is from his thoughts, a mental diary of what went through his head during different events in Charmed and/or Revelations history.  
  
Diary of a Whitelighter  
  
by: Brandy Leigh  
  
~*~  
  
It feels like just yesterday when I met Prue, Phoebe and Piper. I can remember it perfectly, even the things going through my mind when I was on my way to the manor for the first time.  
  
'Here I go, off to meet my three new charges. I feel so trusted, and a bit nervous, seeing as they're the most important charges ever entrusted to a whitelighter. I can't believe I, Leo Wyatt, am going to be the Charmed One's whitelighter...'  
  
I'd only been a whitelighter for a short period of time, a few months at most. I was chosen over whitelighters who had been doing the same thing as I for milenia, who were more experienced and knew what they were doing. I was just a rookie, stumbling to make the Elders proud. A kiss up, a suck up, a butt kisser.  
  
When the Elders called me to them and told me of my new charges, I think I smiled so hard I nearly cracked my jaw. Just to know they trusted me enough to bestow this honor upon me! Immediately I orbed down to Earth and pulled a few strings, making it so I'd be the handyman to work on the Halliwell Manor. My plan worked, and before I knew it I was ringing the doorbell of the sisters who, little did I know, would change my life forever.  
  
The Halliwell sisters, the most beautiful women on this side of the galaxy. Correction, the most beautiful women in existence. They made the angel choir from up above pale in comparison. They made me glad I was a whitelighter, glad to be the man in charge of keeping them safe. The most beautiful of the three was Phoebe, the youngest, though her sister Piper had a hidden beauty.  
  
Prue, the oldest of the three, was a out of my leage. She was the one who took care of everyone else, the buisness woman that had no time for relationships. She was the take charge kind of gal that made most men get whiplash from trying to steal a look. The no nonsense protector of her younger sisters may not have been my type, but it didn't keep me from looking.  
  
Back to Phoebe, the one who caught my eye before the others. She was young, cute, and full of energy. She didn't hide the interest she had in me, and had no quams about commenting to her sister even when I was just in the next room. On more than one occasion I caught her trying to take a peek at my rear when I was fixing something high up, but of course Piper did that too.  
  
Piper was a bit more mature than Phoebe, and definately more quiet when it came to men she was interested in. She would cast a glance here and there, but never fully came out and addressed the fact she was attracted to me. Sometimes I'd hear her and Phoebe talking about me, giggling and admiring, arguing over who would be the one to finally get me. I have to admit, it was quite the turn on to hear them.  
  
After some time I realized I liked Phoebe a lot, and since I knew she was interested in me, I was planning on asking her out. Piper and I had been talking lately though, making me debate on whether or not it was a good idea. Phoebe was the obvious one, but I had a feeling Piper felt more than she was letting show. She hid the fact that it bothered her when Phoebe flirted with me, but those eyes... the ones that spoke volumes.  
  
Phoebe was fun, and she made me feel alive. She was a bubbly teen who liked to have fun whenever she could, and she was the best at making me laugh. I was going to ask her out for a date, I really was, but something happened... Piper happened. We were talking, and the next thing I knew, her lips were on mine. I hadn't been kissed in so long, especially not like that. Her lips were magic, and it was all I could do not to melt.  
  
Everytime I looked at Phoebe after that, I would feel incredibly guilty. I was an old fashioned kind of guy, the kind that didn't run around with every woman in town. As much as I liked Phoebe, I had already made a nonverbal commitment to Piper. Don't get me wrong, Piper was no second choice. She was an amazing person, and I slowly felt myself falling for her more and more. Her soul was the purest I'd ever met, and she brought mine to life.  
  
I guess I could say I loved Piper, but I was never truly in love with her. I tried to believe I was, because I felt like I should. I was brought up to love the one you are with, not to seek out the one you love. Damnit, that still sounds horrible. I did love Piper, I loved her with all my heart, and I still do. I just wish I'd had more of a chance to think, more time to make a decision.  
  
I don't regret any of the time I spent with Piper, and I never will. We broke up with each other a few days ago, and it saddened me immensely. Even if we weren't in love with each other, we were always best friends. I hope we will always remain friends, seeing as she means more to me than almost anything I know. And I hope, dear God I pray, my newest decision won't change our friendship.  
  
I've had to watch Phoebe suffer so much over the years, through her relationship with Cole, and the loss of Prue. I've helped Piper deal with everything that has come along, and watched as she in turn helped Phoebe. I've never been able to take Phoebe into my arms and comfort her the way I always wanted to, the way I would have if things had been different. The way I want to now.  
  
I love Piper, but she and I are over. We both know we could never be together again, especially with Brandy in the picture. I've never seen anyone experience love at first sight, but I think if there ever was a case of it, she and Piper would be it. There's one other case I could think of, but I never had the chance to find out if I was right or not. Maybe... maybe now is the time.  
  
I hope Phoebe doesn't slap me and think badly of me, seeing as I just broke up with her sister. I hope I can explain things like I feel them inside, and make her understand. I hope Piper won't try to kill me, thinking she's protecting her sister from a man who's so desperate he'd go for sisters. I'm not like that, and I hope they know it. Above all, I hope I don't make a fool of myself.  
  
Please Piper, understand. Please Phoebe, accept me.  
  
~*~  
  
End  
  
~*~ 


	9. Chapter Eight

~*~  
  
Disclaimer, etc. in part one  
  
~*~  
  
Authors notes: Sorry it took so very long for me to get this out! It took me forever to get chapter 10 writen (I try to stay at least two chapters ahead). Anywho, here's chapter eight!  
  
Book One - Revelations (8/?)  
  
by: Brandy Leigh  
  
~*~  
  
Brandy awoke the next morning, spooned against Piper's back. Her arm was draped across her stomach, and she noticed that neither of them were dressed. For a moment she was confused and couldn't remember what had happened the night before, but through the haze the memories returned.  
  
"Close your eyes," she had whispered to Piper, trailing kisses down her bare body.  
  
The two had made love into the early morning, falling asleep in each other's arms. Now Piper lay with her back to Brandy, sound asleep, a distant smile upon her face. Brandy laid still behind her, trying not to wake her up, all the while breathing in her scent. She drew soft circles on her shoulder with her finger as the sun filtered into the room, bathing them in its rays.  
  
"I really do love you," Brandy whispered, dropping a kiss to Piper's shoulder; the same spot where the circles had been.  
  
"Mmm, I love you too," Piper murmured, not really awake, merely responding to the comment.  
  
Brandy smiled and leaned down to kiss her shoulder again, trailing up to kiss her neck. She would have loved to let Piper sleep longer, God knows she needed it, but she needed to see her beautiful eyes, hear her voice. After a moment of feather light kisses, Piper awoke, a smile spreading across her face. She let out a contented sigh and rolled over to face Brandy, wrapping her arms around her waist.  
  
"Well good morning to you too," Piper said, grinning. She paused and frowned slightly, then groaned.  
  
Brandy frowned as well, knowing exactly what was wrong. She had never been one to fall victim of a hangover, but knew they were quite painful. She cupped Piper's cheek softly and closed her eyes, concentrating on releasing her pain. Within seconds the pain draining from her temples, and Brandy opened her eyes. She let her hand linger on Piper's cheek as she kissed her lovingly.  
  
"Better than aspirin," Piper told her, stroking her hip. "I knew I loved you for a reason."  
  
"You only love me because I can heal your pain?" Brandy asked with a raised eyebrow, her tone joking.  
  
"I love you for more reasons than that," Piper replied with a smile.  
  
"Good," Brandy said, yawning as she pulled back to stretch. "Mmm, I smell scrambled eggs. I say we go down and get some before there isn't any left. That greedy little family of ours doesn't like to leave any leftovers for the sleepyheads."  
  
"Our family? Since when is it our family, hmm?" Piper asked with a lopsided grin.  
  
"Well, we're the Charmed Family aren't we? And someday, I hope to be more than just the Protector of the family."  
  
"To me, you're already so much more than that, Brandy."  
  
Brandy leaned over to kiss Piper once more before she pulled herself out of the bed. She slipped on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, watching Piper as she crawled out of bed and went across the room to get some clothes of her own. Brandy raised a brow and grinned like an idiot, watching her girlfriend walk around in her birthday suit.  
  
'Girlfriend,' Brandy repeated in her mind, a fond look on her face. 'I like the sound of that. Piper, my girlfriend.'  
  
"You look happy," Piper told her, taking her hand as they walked through the door and towards the stairs.  
  
"Of course I'm happy, I have you."  
  
The two shared yet another kiss as they reached the bottom of the stairs, and made their way into the kitchen. Paige was already in the room when they got there, her eyebrow shooting way up at the sight of the two women acting lovey-dovey. She was nursing a cup of coffee, but froze mid sip, settling it down on the table.  
  
"I take it something happened last night," she muttered.  
  
Piper grinned as she poked Brandy in the ribs and said, "I got her to tell me she loved me, and there's no way she can take it back now!"  
  
"Oh God, I don't want to know," Paige said, watching as Brandy laughed at Piper and tried to steal a kiss.  
  
"Don't even go there," Brandy said as she moved to get a coffee mug for her, and one for Piper. "All you've done lately is try to talk me into telling Piper how I feel. I don't want to hear you babbling about not wanting to see us together."  
  
"Fair enough," Paige replied, leaning back in her chair with a grin, "but I don't have to like it."  
  
"Don't have to like what?" Phoebe muttered, shuffling into the kitchen, holding her head.  
  
"Them two necking every two seconds," Paige said, nodding her head in Brandy and Piper's direction.  
  
Phoebe raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word, she merely took a mug out and filled it with coffee, grabbing a bottle of aspirin as she walked over to the kitchen table.  
  
"You shouldn't have been drinking last night Phoebe, you're pregnant," Piper scolded her, a frown upon her face.  
  
"I didn't drink enough to harm the baby," Phoebe told her, taking a few aspirin.  
  
"You shouldn't have been drinking at all, let alone enough to give you a hangover. Having a baby is a big responsibility, and what you did last night was one of the least responsible things you've done in a long time. I don't know who I'm more ashamed of right now, you, or Leo for letting you drink."  
  
"I don't need Leo's permission, Piper. I'm an adult, and I can do whatever the hell I want."  
  
Before Piper could open her mouth to speak again, Brandy placed her hand on her arm. She nodded her head in Phoebe's direction and said, "The baby is fine. There wasn't enough alcohol in her system to do any damage." She then looked to Phoebe and said, "Next time you might not be so lucky. You may not want to hear it, but you really should be more careful."  
  
Phoebe sighed and nodded, looking away. She knew they were both right, but didn't want to admit it. She didn't appreciate the way Piper approached the situation, or the way she seemed to be treating her like a child. Maybe it was the hormones making her rebellious, but for once she didn't feel like her sister telling her what to do. She wasn't the irresponsible Phoebe she used to be, she had changed.  
  
"Guys, bigger problems are at hand here," Paige said, trying to draw attention away from Phoebe.  
  
Brandy glanced over at Paige and nodded in agreement. "She's right. All we've done lately is try to get our minds off of the problems we're having, which is only making our problems worse. We need to stop trying to run away from all of this and work on finding a solution."  
  
"And what exactly do you suggest we do?" Phoebe snapped, looking guilty as soon as she said it.  
  
Brandy paused slightly and said, "I suggest we handle one thing at a time. I hate to be the one to curse us, but every since the incident with the spell, Cole has left us alone. We were careless last night when we went out, and it could have turned out really nasty. Right now our first priority should be keeping Phoebe safe, and since we've decided against the Elder's plan, we need to think of something else."  
  
"I thought we were just going to keep close guard on her, and never let her be without one of us," Paige pointed out.  
  
"Seeing as Cole has already stooped low enough to try and turn us against each other, we're going to need more help. If he can cast a strong enough spell to turn me against you, then he'll have no trouble getting to you and Piper."  
  
"Maybe it would be best if I stayed with the Elders," Phoebe said softly, her head hung low.  
  
"Are you serious?" Piper asked, eyes wide. "Are you honestly considering going up there for all that time?"  
  
"Not only would the baby and I be safe, but it would be less stressful on all of you. Instead of having to worry about me and my safety, you could focus on getting rid of Cole and the spell inside Brandy. As much as I'd like to stay here, I think it would be easier on everyone if I didn't. Besides, with Brandy here, the power of three wouldn't suffer with my absence."  
  
Brandy, Paige and Piper looked around at each other, frowns upon their faces. They didn't want Phoebe to have to stay away for so long, but it made the most sense. Phoebe had been against the idea in the beginning, angry and resentful towards the Elders for wanted to take her away from her sisters, but now she saw their reasoning. Things were already getting rough, and her safety here on Earth was rapidly declining.  
  
"We're behind you in whatever you decide," Paige told Phoebe, reaching across to take her hand.  
  
Piper nodded and added, "We love you, and we only want what's best for you."  
  
Phoebe nodded and looked over at Brandy, raising her eyebrow as she wiped at the tears beginning to spill from her eyes. "What do you think?" she asked.  
  
"Honestly... I believe... staying with the Elder's would be the smartest decision to make," Brandy told her, carefully choosing her words. She could feel Phoebe's anxiety, and did not want to add to it.  
  
"Can you make the pain go away? The fear?" Phoebe asked, biting her lip.  
  
"Of course," Brandy replied, reaching across the table to take her other hand. She closed her eyes and focused on the pain in Phoebe's heart, drawing it into her own existence. Within a few moments, Phoebe could feel the negative emotions drain from her body.  
  
Phoebe drew in a shaky breath and looked up at three of the most important people in her life. Her two sisters who had been there for her through everything that had gone wrong in her life, and Brandy, her Protector. They were a team, and nothing was going to break that team apart. No spell, no demon, not even the source of all evil.  
  
"Thank you," Phoebe said softly, pulling her hands from Brandy and Paige as she stood. She walked over and pulled Paige into a hug, then did the same to Piper. After she was done passing out hugs she looked over at Brandy, nodding. "Okay, let's do this. Take me up there before I change my mind."  
  
Brandy closed her eyes, and the white light of her transing aura extended to surround her and Phoebe. The two disappeared, leaving Piper and Paige behind. The sisters looked at each other, tears in their eyes, reaching out to hold hands. As long as they stuck together, everything would be okay. They would draw strength from each other, keeping themselves sane.  
  
Brandy reappeared in the manor a few moments later, alone. She forced a smile for the two sisters who now sat together on the couch, tearfully clutching each other. She kneeled down in front of them and placed her hand over theirs, taking in a deep breath. Phoebe had asked her to take away the sadness, and she could tell by the look in Piper and Paige's eyes they wanted her to do the same.  
  
"Everything is going to be okay," she told them softly, soothing their emotions with her voice. "We're going to get through this."  
  
Paige nodded and pulled herself from Piper, wiping the tears from her face. She drew in a semi-shaky breath and pulled her hair away from her face as she stood, looking down at the floor. "I have to be at work soon," she mumbled, turning away as she made her way towards the stairs.  
  
"There's something I need to tell you guys first," Brandy said, moving to sit next to Piper where Paige had been a moment before. "While Phoebe is up there, the Elders want me to keep hold of her powers. That way we'll still have the power of premonitions, and her powers will stay active."  
  
Piper nodded softly, while Paige seemed to get a thoughtful look on her face. She looked up and Brandy and said, "That reminds me, do you still have my powers?"  
  
Brandy raised her brow in wonder, turned to look at the coffee table, outstretched her hand and commanded, "Remote!"  
  
The remote flickered briefly, but remained at it's spot on the coffee table. Brandy shook her head slightly and glanced up at Paige. "I don't have them anymore."  
  
"Remote!" Paige repeated, holding her own hand out. As hoped, the remote dissolved into blue orbs of light, reappearing in her hand.  
  
"The Elders must have returned them to you when they restored Leo," Brandy said, nodding softly. "I'm glad they were able to clean up the mess I made. I still feel bad about everything I did," she added, lowering her head.  
  
"Hey, it wasn't your fault," Piper reassured her, taking her hand.  
  
"You were under a spell, you had no control," Paige added.  
  
"We're going to get rid of this damn spell. Before long you won't have to worry about containing it, I promise."  
  
Paige smiled and turned to head up the stairs again, but stopped short at the sound of Piper letting out a scream. When she spun back around her eyes widened, seeing Piper being held up in the air by her throat. Brandy stood defensively and her eyes blazed, calculating how to get to the demon holding Piper without hurting her. Unfortunately the demon was using Piper as a shield, making it difficult to do so.  
  
"Come now Protector," the demon growled, tightening his grip on Piper's throat, "you should have no trouble getting her free of my capture. If you are indeed the almighty Protector, you should be able to kill me right here, right now."  
  
Brandy moved to take a step forward, but froze when the demon raised his hand. His palm was glowing with red hot heat, and he neared it to the side of Piper's face. He smiled with a cocky sneer, hand moving ever so slowly to her flesh. He stopped his movement just millimeters from touching her, and cocked his head to the side.  
  
"Well?" he asked, almost laughing with glee. "Aren't you even going to try to stop me?"  
  
"You bet your ass," Brandy said through clenched teeth, her body tense with anger.  
  
In a flash of white light, Piper disappeared from the demon's arms. As she reappeared across the room Brandy made her move, using telekinesis to slam the demon back against the wall. When he swung his arm to send a fireball her way she rose her hand, her focus turning to the flame. It slowed before reaching her glowing hand, slinging back towards the demon.  
  
"Blow him up!" Paige shouted, speaking to Piper.  
  
Piper rose her hands and tried to vanquish the demon, but it didn't work. He laughed and stood, unleashing several fireballs in Brandy's direction. She managed to dodge the first few, but had to raise her newly developed aura shield to block the rest. She looked up in shock as they hit the shield and evaporated, having never used the shield before. It came as second nature, thankfully saving her ass.  
  
The demon continued to send fireballs in her direction, causing her to back up against the wall. The shield was beginning to falter, and Brandy was beginning to feel the heat of the fire. The two sisters were trying their best to attack him on their own, but to no avail. He merely laughed and advanced on Brandy, stopping to stand over her as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor.  
  
"Damnit, we have to do something!" Piper shouted frantically.  
  
"Like what?" Paige shouted back, looking around for something, anything that could be helpful.  
  
"LEO!" the two women shouted at once, praying he would be able to help them.  
  
To their dismay Leo didn't appear right away, and it was obvious Brandy was having more and more trouble defending herself against the demon. Her shield finally shattered, shards of white light exploding into nothingness. The demon raised his hand again to fire one last fireball at her, yet he was not expecting what was about to happen.  
  
Brandy's eyes began to cloud over with darkness, her expression changing to one that Piper and Paige hoped they would never see again. Raising her hands before her, a bolt of black energy shot forth into the demon, slamming him back as it worked it's way through his system. He screamed as he fell to the floor, black light oozing from his pores. With one last scream he exploded, not even a trace of him being left behind.  
  
"Stupid son of a bitch," Brandy growled as she stood. She paused as if a sudden pain was tearing through her, shaking her head as if to clear it.  
  
It was then that Leo decided to orb into the room, looking around the room and all of it's destruction. He glanced over at Brandy and saw her struggling for a control, then looked to Piper and Paige for confirmation. Piper's eyes were shining with tears as she made her way to Brandy, praying she would be able to contain the evil that was trying to take over her.  
  
Brandy shook her head again and dropped to her knees, her hands balled into fists as she let out a pain filled moan. She stayed on her knees as she fought for control of the virus, her eyes squeezed shut. Piper knelt down beside her and placed her hands on her arm, lending her strength.  
  
Moments later Brandy seemed to visibly relax, the tension draining from her body. She dropped forward and caught herself before her face hit the floor, her hair dangling down in her face. She rose her eyes to look at Piper, the blue depths of them filled with terror and pain. She had gained control of the darkness for now, but it was still churning within her.  
  
"You with us?" Piper asked softly, brushing Brandy's hair back form her face so she could look into her eyes.  
  
Brandy nodded and swallowed a lump in her throat, pulling herself into a sitting position. She reached a hand up to wipe the sweat from her face, ignoring the fact it was shaking violently, along with the rest of her body. She glanced around the room then back up at Piper, a frown upon her face.  
  
"Did I hurt anyone?" she asked quietly, fearing the answer.  
  
"Only the demon that tried to kill me," Piper replied, smiling softly.  
  
Brandy sighed and put her face in her hands, mumbling, "I lost control, I couldn't see what was happening this time. I thought I'd lost myself, but somehow I fought it off." She glanced over at Piper and added, "Thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Even though you weren't trying, I felt you calling out to me. I grabbed hold of that connection, and it helped me pull through." She paused and looked up at Leo, who she knew had just been up with Phoebe and the Elders. "How is she?"  
  
"She's fine," Leo replied, pausing before he added, "she's with Prue."  
  
"Prue?" Piper asked, her voice barely audible.  
  
Leo nodded and said, "The Elders are allowing her to spend her time up there with Prue, as a guide through her pregnancy. She will also be the one to assist Phoebe through the birth of her child."  
  
"Will we get to see her?" Paige asked, hoping she would finally be able to meet the ever famous Prue.  
  
"Once the baby is born, the Elders have agreed to allow Prue one week on Earth in human form."  
  
A smile spread across Piper's face, her heart filled with joy. Finally, after all this time, she was going to be able to see Prue again. She had tried every spell known to witchcraft to try and get her back, to no avail. Night after night she dreamt of the day she'd see her sister again, and now it was only a matter of months before she would.  
  
"Told you everything would be okay," Brandy said with a smile.  
  
"Things are looking up," Paige added, smiling as well.  
  
"There's something else you should know." Leo told them, a frown upon his face.  
  
"Just kill the moment why don't you," Paige muttered.  
  
"The Elders informed me that Cole has issued a 'fire-at-will' command against Brandy. To any demon who can kill her, he is offering immunity and a place by his side."  
  
"That explains the demon attack," Piper said, looking over at Brandy.  
  
"We can expect more demons, even more powerful than that one," Brandy said with a sigh. "Which means I need to train even more than I've been training. I need to work on controlling these new powers that this disease has given me. I need to know how to use them without them taking over my body. I also need to learn more about that shield I used during the last battle, it could come in handy."  
  
"I'll get to work on some heavy duty vanquishing spells, just to be on the safe side," Paige added. "Not to mention we'll need to raid the Book of Shadows for protection spells."  
  
"You go start working on those potions, and Brandy and I will check the book. Leo, send Phoebe our love... and Prue," Piper said, taking charge of the situation.  
  
Leo nodded in reply and orbed from the room, and Paige headed into the kitchen to start on the potions. Piper stood from her position of the floor and held out her hand to Brandy, helping her to stand as well. The two headed up the stairs to the attic, and Piper began flipping through the book. She motioned to a chair that was sitting across the room, giving Brandy a look.  
  
"Sit down," she told her, turning her attention back to the Book of Shadows. "You're still as pale as a ghost and you're shaking. You need to rest up before you start training again."  
  
"I'm fine," Brandy replied, moving over to stand next to Piper. "Yes I'm a little shaky, but I feel fine. I don't want you to be worrying about me when there are more important things to worry about."  
  
"You and my sisters are the most important things to me, doesn't that count?"  
  
Brandy smiled softly but said, "No, I'm afraid not. As cliché as this is going to sound, the fate of the world rests in our hands. It's up to us to stop Cole before he goes and fucks up the whole universe."  
  
"We can't go in halfassed," Piper told her, stopping from looking through the book to turn and look at her. "What good would you be to us if you were too weak to fight?"  
  
"My powers are steadily replenishing themselves, Piper. I'll be good as new before you know it, but in the mean time I can't just sit by and let you guys do all the work. I have to do whatever I can to help, even if I'm doing nothing more than looking through the Book of Shadows."  
  
Piper sighed and put her hands on her hips, shaking her head as she said, "Just promise me you won't go and get yourself killed, okay? I'm starting to get used to you being around here."  
  
"Oh are you?" Brandy said with a sly smile.  
  
"That I am," Piper replied. She leaned up to steal a kiss from Brandy, but jumped when the pages of the book began to rapidly turn on their own. "Damnit," she muttered, turning to see what page it stopped on. "I hate it when they do that."  
  
"They who?" Brandy asked, looking down at the page as well.  
  
"Mom and grams," Piper told her before reading the page. "It's a protection spell, but it's one I've never seen before. It wasn't in the book before today, they must have put it here to help us."  
  
"Then I say we use it," Brandy replied. "Do we need the power of three?"  
  
Piper glanced at the page again, nodded and said, "Yes, we do."  
  
"No problem," Brandy told her. "You're here, and I have Phoebe and Prue's powers."  
  
"The power of three," Piper replied, reaching over to take Brandy's hand. Both read the spell before them:  
  
"The powers that be  
  
Grant this from thee  
  
Protect this our home  
  
This place where we roam  
  
Seal this place tight  
  
Fill us with might  
  
Please let this spell  
  
Protect where we dwell  
  
As we walk upon land  
  
Guide us with your hand  
  
As we sail upon sea  
  
Grant this from thee."  
  
As the two finished the spell, a bright flash of light filled the room. Fog began to spread across the floor and the walls, raising to cover the ceiling as well. Whisps of the fog surrounded both of them, and a yelp from Paige downstairs let them know Paige was experiencing the same thing. Once the fog had covered every inch of them and the house, it dissipated.  
  
"I assume it worked," Piper said, pulling Brandy along as she ran across the room and started down the stairs.  
  
When the two reached the bottom and entered the kitchen, Paige was standing there with various bottles for containing potions strewn across the counter. A pot boiled before her, and she used a ladle to scoop the contents into one of the bottles. She looked up when Brandy and Piper walked into the room, frowning.  
  
"You guys could have warned me before you sent spooky smoke all through the house," she said, pointing the ladle at them.  
  
"Sorry," Brandy said with a lopsided grin. "We didn't know that was going to happen."  
  
Paige just shook her head as she said, "I'm almost done with the first batch of potions. This one is a duplicate of Piper's power to blow stuff up."  
  
"Good," Brandy said, taking the bottle Paige had just finished filling and putting it in her pocket. "We should have one of these with us at all times. Work on our strongest vanquishing potion next, we should always have one of those with us, too."  
  
Paige nodded in reply and worked to fill the rest of the bottles. Once she was done she began work on the next potion, while Brandy went into the basement with Piper to train. Even thought she was the only one required to train, it would be good to get all of them up to par. She even had Paige join them down below once she had finished with all of the potions.  
  
Meanwhile, up in the world where the Elders dwelled, Phoebe was sitting alone with her sister. She and Prue had been talking every since she had gotten there, catching up on all the time missed. Even though Prue had been watching over her and Piper, she had not been able to focus on them all of the time. Being she was now a diplomat for good, her time was limited.  
  
"I still can't believe I'm here with you," Phoebe said as she pulled her sister into a hug for the umpteenth time.  
  
"It's so good to see you, Phoebe. I've missed you and Piper so much, and I regret not being able to spend time with Paige. You don't know how much it means to be able to spend time with you like this," Prue replied, hugging her back.  
  
"Are you kidding? It's been so hard without you, Prue. I didn't think Piper and I were going to make it without you. Piper was a wreck, and I... I was so torn apart. We need you, Prue."  
  
Prue shook her head and said, "You guys have been doing just fine without me. Look at how much you've accomplished since I've been gone. You found Paige, turned her into a wonderful witch, and saved so many innocent lives."  
  
"It's just not the same without you," Phoebe said, fresh tears making their way down her face. "Look at the mess I've gotten myself into without my big sister to yell at me and tell me I'm being crazy!"  
  
"From what I've seen, Piper has been doing plenty of yelling," Prue said with a grin. "Besides, everything is going to be just fine. Trust me, okay?"  
  
Phoebe nodded and leaned into her sister's touch, clutching onto her as if her life depended on it. She would never let Prue leave her sight again, no matter what it took. She had gone through so much, hoped and prayed, and now she was with her again. She would die before she would loose Prue again.  
  
"Come on," Prue said, pulling Phoebe to her feet. "We've been sitting here the whole time, I haven't even showed you around yet. There's this really beautiful meadow I think you'll love."  
  
Phoebe smiled and walked with Prue, hand in hand. They walked through the meadow as they continued to talk about the things that had been going on lately. From Leo and Piper's break up, to Piper dating a woman. She even told her about the kiss she and Leo had shared the night before. It was a dream come true, for both of them.  
  
~*~  
  
End part eight  
  
~*~  
  
Authors note: The spell used in this story for protection was written by yours truly. If you want to use it in your stories, please ask me first. Thanks a bunch! 


	10. Chapter Nine

~*~  
  
Disclaimer, etc. in part one  
  
~*~  
  
Authors notes: I don't own The Matrix or any of it's characters.  
  
Book One - Revelations (9/?)  
  
by: Brandy Leigh  
  
~*~  
  
The three girls trained down in the basement for two hours, taking their powers to a level they had never done before. Piper and Paige were surprised with what they were able to accomplish, and shocked at the power which Brandy possessed. Even though her powers were still not at full strength, her abilities were down right amazing.  
  
"All right Neo," Paige said, referring to Brandy as if she were the character from the Matrix, "try this on for size!"  
  
"Or should I say... Mister Anderson," Piper said in a deep voice, turning it into a joke.  
  
Brandy sighed and shook her head lightly, trying not to smile. She was in her training zone, and her concentration was vital. However, their comments weren't too far off. Her abilities did somewhat mimic those from the movie they were referring to, yet they were not identical. She could not move as fast as Neo, but her ability to sense the moves her opponents were about to make made it seem as if she did.  
  
"All right guys," Brandy said, taking a deep breath to center herself, "let's focus. One last drill, then we're finished for the day."  
  
Piper and Paige glanced at each other and nodded, then looked back over at Brandy, who was blindfolded. They made their way behind her, watching for any sign that she knew what they were doing, then launched an attack at her. She blocked every move they made, deflected every power sent at her, and fought back. The girls did their best to defend themselves, but they finally called the password that would call off the spar.  
  
"TACOS!" the two girls yelled at the same time, backing up.  
  
Brandy smiled to herself as she reached up to remove the cloth that shielded her eyes. She used it to wipe the sweat from her forehead, then tucked it into her pocket. She walked over to the two girls who had plopped themselves down on the floor, sitting down next to them.  
  
Patting Piper's knee affectionately she said, "You almost got me on that last one. I thought I was a goner."  
  
"Bullshit," Piper murmured, breathing heavily. "You could have taken me out without even thinking twice. This is ridiculous."  
  
"No it's not," Brandy replied. "I don't expect either of you to have the same powers I do, or to be on the same level. All that matters is that your powers are at their fullest, so we can all be prepared for the things about to happen."  
  
"Yeah, well if my powers get any more full I think I'm going to explode," Paige muttered, laying down onto her back.  
  
Brandy smiled again as she leaned down and kissed Piper softly. As soon as their lips connected, Piper could feel Brandy jerk. Her whole body went stiff, her eyes squeezing shut as she let out a gasp. Paige sat up, watching along with Piper as Brandy had her first premonition.  
  
"What did you see?" Piper asked, taking her hand. She knew it had to be a shock to get a vision so suddenly.  
  
"Another demon," Brandy replied, taking deep and even breaths. When she looked up, she was crying. "He killed you. I couldn't stop him."  
  
Piper sighed and bit her lip, feeling Brandy tighten her grip on her hand. Apparently the protection spell sent to them by grams and their mom wasn't strong enough. They had to do something to change the events in the vision, and find another way to protect themselves. Every demon in the underworld was after them, and one little protection spell obviously wasn't going to do shit.  
  
"What about the protection spell?" Paige voiced.  
  
"It wasn't enough," Brandy said, wiping her eyes. "There was so many demons, too many of them. They broke through our defenses, and attacked us from all sides. Even with this virus inside me, it wasn't enough to stop them all."  
  
"How the hell are we going to stop an attack like that?" Paige asked, her eyes wide.  
  
"We have to talk to Cole, get him to call off this attack," Brandy replied, standing. "It's the only way to prevent the vision from happening. I'll be damned if I'm going to let it happen."  
  
"You can't be serious," Piper said, standing as well. "You can't actually believe he'll even listen to you long enough to hear you out, let alone consider it. Cole is a power hungry maniac, trying to kill us all. There's no way he'll call off an attack that will get rid of one of us."  
  
"Watch me," Brandy said, transing from the room before Piper could voice her objection.  
  
"Damnit," Piper growled, kicking a box near her. "She's going to get herself killed!"  
  
Brandy appeared in the underworld seconds later, not exactly happy to be back. The last time she was there she nearly lost her life, trying to save Paige. Now that every demon was out to kill her, it was going to be damn near suicidal. She kept moving never the less, making her way through the catacombs. Out of the corner of her eye saw movement, and she made her way in that direction.  
  
The room which stood before her was empty, aside from one lone figure sitting on a giant throne made of stone. Fire licked the walls, almost looking as if everything was aflame. Heat radiated like a burning inferno gone mad, making it difficult to breath. She took a deep breath to steady herself as she walked in, never taking her eyes off the man on the throne.  
  
"You sure have some nerve," Cole said calmly as she entered. He stayed seated on his throne, hands folded in his lap. "Or maybe you're just incredibly stupid."  
  
"Probably a little bit of both," Brandy replied, stepping closer to him. "Either way, I'm here for a reason."  
  
Cole narrowed his eyes, looking her over. He was unsure of her motive, but knew she had something up her sleeve. She had always been the type to go straight to the source, no pun intended, and she always took care of business. If she had risked it all to be in the underworld at a time like this, she wasn't playing around.  
  
"I want you to call off this man hunt."  
  
"Why should I do that?" Cole asked, almost laughing. "I have you right where I want you, so why would I call it off? Apparently my plan is working, or you wouldn't be so determined for me to stop. Whatever could have happened to make you this livid?"  
  
"It's not of your damn business, Cole Turner. All you need to know is someone I care for is going to get hurt, and I'll be damned if I'm going to just sit by and watch it happen. I don't care how powerful you are, but I will personally vanquish your sorry ass if you don't call this thing off!"  
  
"Feisty, aren't we? I think someone has gotten just a bit too confident. Look at all the times the Charmed One's have gotten hurt since you've been around. You're not worthy to be their Protector, Brandy. You're a sorry excuse for a Protector, and you're going to get yourself killed, along with them. Admit it, they would have been better off if you'd never come into their lives."  
  
"Shut up," Brandy muttered, clenching her fists.  
  
"Hit a nerve did I?" Cole asked, raising an eyebrow. "Poor Piper gave up the perfect man just to be with you. Now you're running around in the underworld, leaving her sitting home alone, worried to death. For all she knows, you could be dead. Hell, you even tried to kill her once! You pretend to love her, when you really couldn't care less."  
  
"Fuck you!" Brandy yelled, the demonic spell inside her beginning to rise to the surface. "You know nothing, Cole! You don't know a damn thing about me or how I feel!"  
  
"Oh but I do," Cole said, standing and walking towards her. When he spoke again, his face was inches from hers. "I know the hatred you feel towards me, the resentment. I also know the evil that's boiling inside of you, and how you're beginning to loose control. Give into it, Brandy. You know you're so much more powerful when you use the power I've given you."  
  
Brandy swallowed a lump in her throat, her eyes beginning to cloud over. She knew she couldn't give in, because if she did she'd be lost forever. With Cole here to sway her, she wouldn't be able to fight it away. Even with Piper's help back home, she would lose all control.  
  
Cole suddenly grabbed Brandy by the throat and slammed her back into a column that stood in the middle of the room. He brought his face so close to hers she could feel his breath on her skin, and the heat of his body radiating off him. He brought his other hand up to grab hold of her shirt, pulling her even closer. His lips were so close to hers, they were almost brushing.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Brandy managed to breath out.  
  
"Reminding you of the old days," Cole said, licking his lips softly, catching a taste of hers. "Getting you to trust me."  
  
"I'll never trust you again. Get off of me."  
  
"No," Cole replied, crushing his lips against hers forcefully. Brandy tried to push him away, getting angrier by the second. Cole's goal was being achieved, the demonic energy inside her being forced upwards. She hated him more than she hated anyone else, but the energy was triggered by memories of Cole.  
  
Memories of the times they had spent together flashed through her mind, the good and the bad. She saw the many times they had made love, the child they had together. The moment when she was forced to give her baby up, to make Cole happy. How he threw away every last thing they had meant to each other when he left her, and how she nearly tried to kill herself after his loss.  
  
The anger and the sorrow grew as she remembered his comforting words when she confided in him about her father. She remembered how he walked out without every looking back. The hateful words he aimed towards her when she asked him what she had done wrong. Having him come back into her life, to find out he had left her for Phoebe. Everything.  
  
"GET OFF!" Brandy screamed as she shoved Cole away from her as hard as she could. Her eyes were completely clouded with black, but she still held the smallest bit of control. Cole's plan had backfired, giving her something to concentrate on: her hatred for him.  
  
Cole growled as he slammed into his throne, the force he hit with enough to shatter the stone chair, leaving it in ruins. He pulled himself up and held onto himself in pain, looking up at the woman who had caused him to feel it. Pain was not something he enjoyed, just to think of it enraged him.  
  
"Call off the attacks or I will kill you," Brandy said, her voice cracked with strain, "I have the power, and you know it. You gave me this power, and it will be your undoing."  
  
"I'll call off the attacks, but this is not over. This will never be over, not until one of us is dead," he replied, his eyes cold.  
  
"So be it," Brandy said, darkness engulfing her entire body. The blackened clouds spread throughout the room, swirled around Cole, then disappeared.  
  
"Bitch," Cole muttered, limping from the room.  
  
"Where is she?" Piper asked for the hundredth time, pacing around the living room of the manor. "He could be killing her, and we're just sitting here doing nothing. I can't feel her when she's down there, I don't know what she's feeling. How can we be sure she's not hurt or under his control or--"  
  
"Or what?" Brandy's voice interrupted, echoing through the room as she appeared in a cloud of darkness. As soon as she appeared, the darkness spread over to Piper and enveloped her. Before she could voice her objection, or do anything to stop it, she was taken along with Brandy as she disappeared from the room in the same manner she had arrived.  
  
"Well damnit!" Paige screamed, stamping her foot. "Now I'm the only one left! I wish someone would just hurry up and get this over with, because I am going to go insane here all by myself! See? I'm already talking to myself! LEO!"  
  
Leo entered with his usual blue orbs, a lopsided smile on his face. He tried to stop seeing as something was obviously wrong, but it was impossible. At Paige's raised eyebrow he said, "Just uh, catching up with Phoebe."  
  
Paige shook her head as if she were trying to wake from a dream, pushing the thought from her head. The whole world had already been turned upside down, what was one more thing? She would deal with Leo and Phoebe once she figured out what was going on with Brandy and Piper. Of course she knew what was wrong with Brandy, but where had she taken Piper, and was Piper alive?  
  
"Brandy's possessed again," Paige told Leo, pacing around the room. "She had a premonition of a demon killing Piper, and went to the underworld to try and get Cole to call off the attacks. She came back to the manor and took Piper, and now I don't know what to do."  
  
"Took Piper? Where?" Leo asked, snapping into whitelighter mode.  
  
"How the hell am I supposed to know?!" Paige exclaimed, beginning to pace as Piper had been doing earlier. "This is all getting way out of hand. We have to do something, and we have to do it now!"  
  
"First thing we need to do is calm down. Let me try to find them, and if that doesn't work, I'll consult the Elders."  
  
"Well don't just stand there, search!"  
  
Leo sighed and closed his eyes, expanding his awareness to feel for Piper and Brandy. To his surprise he connected with them as soon as he started, pinpointing their location. He shook his head slightly as he felt further to try and assess the situation, but was snapped out of it when Paige smacked him in the back of his head.  
  
"Earth to Leo! What is going on up there in that head of yours? Stop spacing out and tell me where they are," Paige said with a scowl. She was growing more impatient by the second.  
  
"At Brandy's old apartment," Leo said as he opened his eyes. He looked confused as he continued. "She isn't even trying to mask her location, or block us from going there. It's like she doesn't care if we find her."  
  
"Of course she doesn't care, she could kill us all without even trying," Paige replied with a huff. "So what do we do now?"  
  
"Well, we can't just charge in there. My advice would be to wait it out, let them handle this. Piper obviously has things under control, because she hasn't called out for me. I think she wants to try and help Brandy on her own again, and I'm almost positive that was Brandy's plan when she took her. She knew she wouldn't be able to hurt her, which made it the best option. It also lets us know she still has some control over herself, or she wouldn't have even thought of it."  
  
"Right," Paige muttered, flopping down on the couch. "We wait."  
  
Across town, at Brandy's old apartment, Piper sat in a chair in the middle of the living room, ropes tying her to it. She looked up at Brandy, trying to keep herself from crying out to her. She could tell she was hurting, just by the way she was pacing back and forth through the room. Every few seconds she would stop and glance over at Piper, a thoughtful look crossing her face.  
  
Biting her lip, Piper looked down at the floor, knowing it was best not to talk right now. Everytime she tried to get to Brandy through their connection she would push her away, and deny her access. Something else was her main focus this time, not Piper. Whatever she was focusing on was pushing her closer to the edge, and making her very angry.  
  
When Brandy stopped to take a glance at Piper, like she had been doing once every minute since they had been there, she clenched her fists in anger. How dare she cast her eyes down! How dare she look away! The little wench sure had some nerve, turning her eyes from the most powerful demon alive. Not only was she the almighty Protector, but she controlled powers even the Source feared. This bitch should fear her just as much!  
  
"Look at me!" Brandy screamed, grabbing the ropes and lifting the chair until her face was inches from Piper's. "I am the almighty, the one feared by all. I have inflicted pain upon the Source, and made him limp away from me with eyes of rage. Yet you look away, and think I should pity you?"  
  
"This isn't you," Piper managed to say, one lone tear rolling down her cheek. Another followed as she said, "This isn't the Brandy I fell in love with."  
  
"Silence!" Brandy shouted as she threw the chair against the wall, an evil grin upon her face as the chair shattered into splinters, piercing the skin of the unworthy one before her.  
  
Piper whimpered when the splinters entered her skin, and she cast her eyes up to look at Brandy. She was afraid not for her life, but afraid she wouldn't be able to get her back this time. Was it time to call Leo and Paige to save her? Was it time to give up on Brandy and fight against her? If it was, would she be able to go through with it? Could she really try to kill the person she felt she was destined to be with?  
  
"You hurt me," Piper said softly, tears flowing freely now. "You said you could never hurt me, and now you have." She looked down at the splotches of blood where the wood had cut her. "Look, look where I'm hurt. See the blood? You did it, but you said you never would."  
  
Brandy stared at the blood dripping from various wounds on Piper's face and hands, the way it began to stain the white shirt she was wearing. She walked closer and leaned down, reaching out to touch the blood. She brought her hand up to her face to get a closer look at it, then looked back at Piper. She suddenly looked as if she was straining, fighting, as a cloudy black tear escaped her eye and trailed down her face.  
  
She stood again, backing up a few paces. She waved her arm, and the ropes around Piper disappeared, setting her free. She stood and started to walk towards Brandy, but she shook her head. She touched her face and looked at the black liquid in confusion as she murmured, "Go."  
  
"I'm not leaving without you," Piper said, holding her hand out. "Don't give up, we can help you."  
  
"I hurt you," Brandy said, black eyes now staring into Piper's. "I did something I swore I'd never do. I've lost control, and I don't think I'll ever get it back. As much as I hate to say it, Cole was right. I failed. I'm not worthy to be your Protector."  
  
"Cole is not right," Piper said, angry he had affected her this much. "You've done so much good since you came into our lives, and given us all something to hope for. You've made me so happy, more than I've been in a long time. I can't imagine life without you, even though we've only been together for such a short time. Every day you watch over us, and you've saved us more than once. Brandy, you are more than worthy to be our Protector. I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have watch over me and be with me."  
  
Brandy looked away, black trails of tears streaming down her face. It was strange to see her fight for control over her own body, to watch as demonic thoughts pulsed through her mind. She backed up until her back touched the wall, then slid down until she was sitting on the floor. She buried her face in her hands, silent sobs wracking her body. She barely noticed as Piper made her way over and sat down, wrapping her arms around her body."  
  
Piper spoke soft words into her shoulder as she held her close, emitting as much love as she could through her embrace. She was unsure if it was doing any good, but held on none the less. She could feel the conflicting emotions inside of Brandy, wondering if there was anything else she could to do help her win her own mind back. It seemed hopeless, like she had lost her, until she felt Brandy returning the embrace.  
  
"Brandy?" Piper whispered, hopeful.  
  
"I'm here," Brandy replied, holding on to her as if her life depended on it. "I'm here."  
  
Piper let out a sigh of relief, her face buried in Brandy's neck. She had been so scared, so sure this was the last time she'd ever hold her again. Now here she was, with control over her body, with hopefully some sanity left. They'd regained the link they shared, and Piper could feel the grief, sadness, and self berating. She had never felt such pain and suffering.  
  
Brandy stared at the blood on Piper's shirt, eyes brimming with tears that refused to fall. The pain within her was so great, she couldn't bring words to it. She had fallen so deeply and madly in love with Piper that it had taken a hold of her soul. Knowing she had harmed her, caused her to bleed, inflicted pain upon her, she was scarred internally. Her heart bared the mark of one who would never fully heal. She had injured to her soulmate, and it was too much for her to handle.  
  
"It wasn't your fault," Piper whispered, knowing it wasn't enough to help; no words were.  
  
"How many more times are you going to have to make that excuse for me?" Brandy asked, flinching at the pain in her own voice. "How much longer before the damage I do can't be reversed? I couldn't handle it if I killed you Piper, and I came too damn close to doing that tonight."  
  
"But you didn't, Brandy! That's all that matters... that's all I need to know."  
  
Brandy pulled herself away from Piper, the anguish coursing through her body enough to make both of them flinch. She was slowly becoming unraveled, each moment passing by causing her hold on sanity to fray. It was all she could do to not loose control then and there, to break down to such an extreme that nothing made sense anymore. Yet technically, nothing did.  
  
"I can't believe you're taking this so calmly, like you don't give a damn about what I did! I threatened you, and slammed you against a wall, and made you bleed, and tried to fucking kill you! What the hell do I have to do to make you realize that I'm not safe to be around? Don't you get it? Don't you understand?" Brandy exclaimed, her fists clenched. Her whole body shook with fear and anger as she spoke.  
  
"I understand that you're talking like you're giving up, and it's scaring me!" Piper yelled back. "I finally get you to tell me you love me, to give us a chance, and you throw it away like it means nothing to you? Well fuck you!"  
  
"Fuck me? Fuck you, Piper! You're always trying to save me, when you can't even save yourself. Be smart for once, when someone is threatening you, it's always better to leave. Trust me, Piper."  
  
"You're making a mistake, Brandy. Don't do this, we can help you get through this."  
  
"Mistake?" Brandy questioned, scoffing. "The biggest mistake I ever made was allowing you to get me in bed! Damnit Piper, you hadn't been away from Leo for a week, and you were already trying to seduce someone else? There's a slut if I ever did see one!"  
  
Brandy held her breath, expecting to feel the exploding pain of Piper's power, a slap on the face, anything. She had said some very harsh words, words she had never wanted to say, but it was best for everyone. It was best if she was away from the others, unable to harm them. It was no longer an option to stay and try to protect them, when she was the very thing they needed to be protected from.  
  
Piper didn't move to strike her, blow her up, or open her mouth to send back a retort. She merely stood there, tears spilling from her eyes. The pain in her eyes and her heart was killing Brandy with each second that passed. Damn the bond they shared, damn it all to hell. As hard as Piper tried she couldn't use it to see if Brandy was sincere, because she was blocking her out. She had nothing but those raw words and the cold look to go on.  
  
For a moment she didn't move, the shock too much. When she did, she turned away from Brandy and slung the door open. She stormed out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her. The slam was enough to jolt Brandy back to reality, and she realized what had just happened. She threw it all away.  
  
As Piper scrambled down the steps, she tripped and slammed into the wall, succumbing to the numbing pain as she crumpled into a ball on the middle of a step. She was not alone in her pain, for back at the apartment Brandy had crumpled to the floor as well. The two huddled in pain as fresh tears flowed, knowing this was not some damned nightmare. The harsh words had been spoken, the relationship broken. It was all too unreal.  
  
"It's not fair," Brandy murmured through her tears, laying on the floor. "I don't want to fight against them, I can't. But, I need guidance, and there's only one person who can explain this demon inside of me. As much as I hate to admit it, I need Cole's help."  
  
With that, she transed down into the underworld, the anger and pain radiating off her enough to make every demon in her path take a step or two back. She didn't look at a single one of them, she merely kept walking towards Cole's chambers with a determined look on her face. The large stone doors that lead to his chambers were closed, but with the wave of her arm they slammed open. She walked forward and stopped a few feet before Cole, hated blazing in her eyes.  
  
"What do you want?" Cole asked, fighting not to take a step back as the other demons were. He remembered how she had actually hurt him earlier, and could tell she was ten times more angry now than she was then.  
  
"I just threw away everything to save them, because I didn't want to be the one to hurt them. Since you're the one who did this to me, you're going to help me control it. And I tell you now Cole, if you try anything funny, anything at all, I WILL kill you. You know I can, and that I won't hesitate to do it. Don't even think you can trick me or double cross me, because right now, you don't want to piss me off."  
  
"What exactly do you want me to do?" Cole asked cautiously.  
  
"Find a way for me to control this damn thing inside me. I know I can never get rid of it, and because of that I can never be with Piper, but at least I can watch over her. To do that I need to be able to be in control of my actions, and you're the only one who can help me figure out how to do that," Brandy told him.  
  
Cole licked his lips and swallowed a small lump inside his throat. Damn this woman for having such a control over him. He should have know it would come to this, she had always had the worst temper. If he had thought over the plan a bit more, maybe he wouldn't be in this situation. As it stood, he had no choice but to help her... or trick her into thinking he was. He had to hide his smile as he answered her.  
  
"Fine Brandy, I'll help you. Anything to get you off of my back. I have more important things to worry about than your lost love, but if helping you will shut you up, then I'll do it. This demon will always be with you, but there is a ceremony I can perform that will make it so it will only surface when you wish it to. Maybe if you'd come to me before you threw away what you had with Piper... but then again, I probably wouldn't have helped you."  
  
"So why help me now?" Brandy asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She was very suspicious, seeing as this was going too well.  
  
Cole shrugged and said, "Like I said, anything to get you off my back. I'm a busy man, and I don't have time to deal with someone constantly bugging the crap out of me. Of course, if I do this for you, we're through. Understand? I don't both you, you don't bother me."  
  
"I thought that was the deal a long time ago, Cole. You left me years ago, I never asked you to come back into my life and fuck things up. We wouldn't be in this situation if you had stuck with your run away nature. But no, you had to meddle, put your nose in where it didn't belong. Then again, that's how you've always been isn't it, Cole? Run away from a problem, then come back and fuck around with it after it's all said and done."  
  
"Look, I said I'd help you, why won't you just leave it at that?"  
  
"Why? I'll tell you why, Cole Turner. Everyday I think about how you fucked up my life, made me give up my child just because you couldn't handle it, or rather you couldn't be bothered to have a child tie you down. Do you ever stop and wonder what Kayleigh is doing now, or where she is? She was just an innocent little baby, and you ruined her life by forcing her away. But you couldn't let it go at that, could you? You have to turn around and leave me, making sure I had nothing left. You took away my baby, my fiancé, my life, and you have to even ASK why I can't 'leave it'?!"  
  
Cole shook his head and waved his arm, signaling his guards to come into the room. As he sat down on his newly restore throne he said, "Take her to the ceremony room, and set up for the spell. I'll be there when I'm good and ready."  
  
The guards complied, taking hold of Brandy and walking her in the direction of the ceremony room. As much as Brandy wanted to sling them across the room for touching her, she didn't. She knew if she did Cole wouldn't help her, and she'd be even farther up shit creek without so much as a boat. She let them guide her into the room, looking around once they had entered. She expected them to watch over her, but not to continue to hold onto her. At her look of frustration, one of them began to explain.  
  
"Even though I know you could kill me in a second, this is the arrangement my liege desires. If you have a problem with it, take it up with him," he told her.  
  
"No problem," Brandy muttered, holding in her anger as best she could as she waited for Cole to make his appearance.  
  
Ten minutes later, Cole came strolling into the room. Brandy noticed the smug look on his face, and her eyebrow raised in question. How big of a risk was she taking to trust him? How could she possibly know if he was really going to help her, or make things worse? She should have planned for this, had some sort of back up plan. Of course, last minute ideas never come equipped with back up plans.  
  
With a wave of his arm, Cole signaled the guards to let Brandy go. He then motioned for her to step forward, which she did very cautiously. He noticed her hesitance and smirked, pulling out a book which was inside a crack in the wall. He laid it down on a pedestal which stood before him, opening it to a page about half way through. Dust floated about as he turned the pages, showing how old this book really was. Once he was at the desired page he glanced up at Brandy, clasping his hands together.  
  
"Are you ready for me to perform the ceremony?" he asked her, his eyes gleaming in the dim light of the room.  
  
"I'm having trouble trusting your motives," Brandy replied, glancing around the room. She noticed more guards entering, and realized just how bad of an idea this was. "What exactly do you have planned here, Cole?"  
  
"You'll see," Cole said, raising his arms slowly. As he did, he began to recite from the book:  
  
"Aza mesuma, deka lebazu.  
  
Azetemala, atunase malabe.  
  
Oh mentano, labeta baleto.  
  
Ney, darkness. Ney, light."  
  
As he finished the words, a dark mist began to swirl around Brandy. Her body felt as if it were on fire, the demon inside of her being pulled forth. She dropped to her knees as it leaked out of every pore, screaming in anguish. Blood seeped through her clothes, soaking every inch of the fabric. The blood was flowing freely, following the demonic blackness as it left her body. Yet, the pain did not end once the blackness was completely gone.  
  
The pool of blood below Brandy soaked into the stone below, a dark light rising around her. The demonic energy that had just left her body melted down to mix with the new light, brightening until it was a surprisingly blinding blend. The strength of the demon was now beyond any reason, but it haulted in it's reentry. It hovered as if waiting for a command, it's unseen eyes staring straight at Cole.  
  
"Yes, go back into her body. Fill her with her evil, and let no strand of goodness remain. Take over every ounce of free will she has, for you now have the power to do so. You now have more power than she ever did, you can control her. Make it so she obeys my every command, and that no one can ever separate her mind from my power. She is mine, as she always will be. MAKE IT SO!"  
  
The darkness seemingly bowed at Cole's command, turning back to face Brandy. Slowly it tore into her flesh, binding itself to her very soul. The blood spilt from her body did not return, but was replaced by demon blood. She now WAS the demon, not just a carrier for it. Her own powers melded with those of the darkness, making her more powerful than she ever was. Yet limitations were within her, for she would tire quickly. The merging of existence was a harsh one, and her being was strained from the double possession.  
  
"Stand," Cole commanded, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
Brandy complied, standing up to face her master. Her eyes no longer were the strong blue they once were, nor were they the black masses they were when the demon took over. They were now grey, a blend of the two, showing she was now a combination of her former self and the demon. Half Protector, half demon, the strongest entity in the universe now stood before the Source, pledging her allegiance to him.  
  
"I, Brandy Leigh, strongest of all, pledge my loyalty to you. Let me fight along beside you, obliterating all that is good. With my help, you could be the sole ruler of the universe, commanding all magic, be it good or evil. My liege, let me be your right arm, my services available to you, unlimited."  
  
Cole nodded, taking a step closer to her. He slung his arm around her waist and jerked her close to him, his face inches from hers. His eyes were bright with mania, his body titillated with the idea that he now had the winning edge. He had the most powerful tool at his disposal, and the ability to get rid of the Charmed Ones once and for all. With a small sinister laugh, Cole leaned in and kissed Brandy with more passion than he thought possible.  
  
Brandy kissed him back, a charge of evil energy flowing through both of them. The kiss lasted for what seemed like hours, until Cole finally broke it off. He kept his body pressed against hers as he said, "If I can't have Phoebe, I will have the next best thing. To see the look on Piper's face when she realizes what I have done to you, what you now are, will be worth everything."  
  
Brandy smiled the same sinister smile that was plastered across Cole's face, and the two tumbled into a back room. The demons who stood in the ceremonial room cast glances at each other, knowing things were about to get much more intense. With Cole and Brandy coupling, it would seal the ceremony that was just performed. She now belonged to Cole, and nothing was going to being her back. It was now clear who had the advantage, and it was not the Charmed Ones. Yes, it was about to get so much more intense.  
  
~*~  
  
End part nine  
  
~*~  
  
Authors notes: For all of you who are worried about the Phoebe and Leo situation, or the Brandy and Piper situation, don't be afraid! I have their best interest in mind, and will fix things before the end of this story. If any of you are so worried that you need a spoiler, e-mail me at brandyb@exis.net and I'll fill you in. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait and find out in the story!  
  
P.s. The spell Cole recited was random B.S. written by yours truly. 


End file.
